


Paris Underground

by damagectrl



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M, Multi, Other, Secret Identity, Threesome - F/M/M, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, alternate univerise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2020-12-09 13:40:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 23,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20995712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damagectrl/pseuds/damagectrl
Summary: Adrien, the heir to an old Parisian vampire clan, and Luka, the young lycanthrope en route to become the next head of his tribe, are good friends/flatmates who are tasked with protecting Marinette, a immortal magic-user sent to set up and run a Coven Center - part store, part clinic that supports vampires, lycans, and immortals in their neighborhood.However, after the mysterious deaths of several vampires and lycans within the city, Marinette's illustrious coven is worried for her safety.   When she refuses to waste coven manpower on personal guards, her family reaches out to those who are already familiar to the city for support.There is only one caveat: Marinette can’t know they’ve been assigned to protect her.





	1. The Princes of République

**Author's Note:**

> It's October! Time for a terrible vampire fic! 
> 
> I combined this with my little tumblr ficlet where Adrien and Luka are roommates (gasp, they are roommates) because I thought it would be fun. It's also written for 12MAU - October's theme is urban or "low" fantasy; meaning vampires and werewolves and stuff. I used my somewhat pre-existing vampire mythos (guess who wrote a full length novel on it for funsies!) because I was too lazy to come up with other stuff.
> 
> Fair warning: I will get one more chapter done, but it's unlikely I will finish this. That being said, please read at your own risk. 
> 
> As always, I do appreciate your time reading. I'm sorry my writing gets weirder and weirder. I don't know what I'm doing.

He could hear is phone vibrating, but the sound wasn’t the quick pulses against his wooden nightstand as he expected. Still, he reached over the naked body to his left to try to grab an object that wasn’t there. As his fingertips brushed the table top, he cracked open one green eye and squinted in the dark. 

Where was his phone? 

He tried to roll over on to his right to check the other nightstand and found it difficult to do so without moving aside another woman’s arm draped across his bare chest. In addition, there was no second nightstand, only an exposed brick wall of their trendy République flat with a pile of navy pillows pushed against it.

Laying across them with a matching navy flat sheet across his own bare abdomen was his sleeping dark haired, blue-eyed flatmate. And they were in his room.

Adrien reached over the woman between them and tapped his arm. “Luka....” He kept his voice low; lycanthropes had better hearing and smelling than vampires anyway. “Luka...my phone...?”

Without opening his eyes, Luka replied in a gravelled voice of a man just stirring awake. “Check your pants pocket.” 

That made sense. Adrien glanced around the corner bedroom, easily making out the discarded clothes strewn across the floor and at the foot of the large bed in the dark. A pair of black pants was piled near one corner. He slid the woman’s arm off him and tried to make his way off the bed without too much disruption. He got to the edge and knelt down to pick up his pants. 

The vibration started once more and he frowned. There were a few people who really called him and only one who would call consecutively. When that happened, it wasn’t likely good news. 

He dug into the backpocket of his pants and found the phone. The illuminated screen had a picture of his father with look a slight confusion from when Adrien surprised him by taking the photo. 

Adrien pursed his lips. His father calling just after sunset. He slid his finger across the screen. His father called three times already. He let out a low breath, certain this wasn’t going to be a good call, and put his pants back on. He glanced back at the bed, where two women they brought home yesterday remained sleeping. Luka seemed to be trying to do the same.

He slipped out of the room and walked down the hall to the kitchen and living area of their fifth floor flat. He slid his finger over the screen once more, this time to call his father back. 

It didn’t even finish ringing the first time before Gabriel Agreste, Master of the Agreste House, Paris’ premiere vampire family, picked up the phone.

“I’ve been calling you for the last fifteen minutes. I was starting to get worried.” 

Adrien released another low breath. “My apologies, Father, I was sleeping off a...tiring dayl.” 

“As long as you’re safe.” Adrien couldn’t blame his father for being so cautious. 

There was now evidence of vampire and lycan hunters in their city. 

Paris, like many metropolitan cities, was home to a vast array of vampires, lycanthropes, and immortals that could do ‘magic’ called covennites. Rather than the strange dark magic and blood rituals associated with their long lives and...peculiarities, immortals like him and Luka were just a result of mutated human genetics that didn’t allow for degeneration of the body and mind, and were generally much more resilient to injury, disease, and illness than mortal humans. 

Vampires had an additional mutation and made consumption of “normal” human food useless; they got their energy from blood. A bustling city made luring meals easy. A night at a club and he could get any man or woman to join him in bed and offer him their neck. They wouldn’t remember that part the next morning, of course.

Lycanthropes, Luka included, simply ate a lot, especially meat when they transformed. Resources were readily available in urban areas for him, though for the most part, lycans rarely transformed. If anyone could pass as a normal human, it would be Luka. If he wasn’t so popular and had a gaggle of people after him. Admittedly, Adrien wasn’t one to judge. He was in the same situation.

For the most part, they were harmless. Just two immortal heirs going about their lives working on music and investing in neighborhood businesses to support unknowing human friends they made. Most immortals were the same: just peacefully living amongst humans. 

The vampire and lycan hunters, or ‘dark hunters’ as they were known in the immortal communities, didn’t feel the same way and felt extermination was necessary. Though, since the Industrial Revolution, the amount of dark hunters and their activities had lessened. 

More and more humans began to brush aside old superstitions and myths of undead blood suckers and cursed in the moonlight wolfmen. It ushered in a time of peace for Adrien’s family and he was allowed a bit more freedom than his father was because it was deemed “safe” - at least in Paris. 

Then, within the last year, vampires began to go missing. A few lycanthropes went as well, with no explanation. It was as if they disappeared into thin air. Finally, a decapitated head of a vampire was found in a metro station the 17th Arrondissement and it was clear what was happening: they were being hunted. 

After all, they were immortal - not divine. They could still very much be killed. 

The Agreste House put out a notification across all of Paris and central France. High ranking families across Europe spread the news for their communities to be aware. Lycanthropes were contacted and so were the covens. Panic had yet to spread, but it was necessary for everyone to be more cautious. 

“I’m fine, Father. I’m with Luka,” Adrien said. Strength in numbers, he supposed. “And I’ve properly trained.” At the very least, he could defend himself.

“Regardless, I’ve sent a car to pick you up. He should be there soon.”

Adrien frowned. He walked towards the kitchen window and peered through the curtains. Parked on the curb was a familiar black car with tinted windows. He held back a sigh. “Are you summoning me to the house?” 

He heard Luka’s quiet footsteps come from the hall and glanced over his shoulder, giving the tall, half dressed man a nod. 

“Yes, we have something immediate to discuss with you. A favor from Ollon-ner.” 

Adrien drew his head back just a bit as Luka took a seat on a stool by their small kitchen island. He began to make some coffee.

“What did Ollor-ner want? Is it serious?” 

“We will discuss when you arrive. We expect you within the hour.” Gabriel hung up and Adrien looked at his phone. He had forty-five minutes to get to his parents’ house. 

“Something wrong?” Luka asked, sounding calm and relaxed as usual. 

Adrien furrowed his brows and ran a hand through his thick, blond hair. “I hope not. Father wants me to go to the manor. I need to get ready; the car’s already here.”

“I need to go, too.” Luka lifted up his own phone and showed him a message. “Jagged wants to talk to me.”

Adrien raised a brow. “That’s kind of disconcerting....”

“I know. Your father, head of Paris’ vampires, wants to talk to you. Now Jagged, my tribe’s head, wants to talk to me.”

“You’re his heir, he talks to you all the time,” Adrien said. “But for them to call at the same time...it’s something big.” 

Luka checked the drip coffee he was making. “I have some time. I’ll take care of the girls from last night. You didn’t drink from either of them, though.” 

“Didn’t feel like it,” Adrien said. “And I hardly know them.” 

Luka chuckled. “We brought them over so you could drink.” 

“Only to drink?” 

Luka’s smile widened just a bit. “All right, perhaps for more than just a drink.” He tilted his head to the side and exposed the long, pale skin of his neck. “Still, you should drink before you go.”

Adrien was already rounding the kitchen island. He licked his lips and opened his mouth. “Thanks, Luka.” 

* * *

The door opened just as he reached the top step to the manor’s front door. Adrien gave a small nod of his head to his parents’ consort, Nathalie. 

“ _ Bonne soir _ , Adrien,” the woman said, tugging up the collar of her shirt. His parents must’ve just fed from her. “They’re waiting in the dining room.” 

“Thank you, Nathalie,” Adrien said as he walked past her. The lycanthrope woman closed the door behind him. She was under the umbrella of his family, being part of it, rather than a tribe. She would’ve been a low ranked member, unlike Luka, and despite their age differences, she would still call him “Young Master” when he came over. 

Adrien walked into the dining room, where his father was seated at the head of the table with his wife on his right. 

“Darling.” Emelie Agreste beamed, raising from her seat to greet him as he walked in.

“ _ Bonne soir _ , Maman.” Adrien smiled back as he reached to embrace her. “I hope everything is well.”

“For the most part yes. How is Luka?” She ushered him to sit across from her. “He hasn’t visited for a while. Tell him to visit. And did you eat?”

“I had a drink before I came, I’m fine,” Adrien said. “And I’ll let him know.” 

“Has Master Jagged called for him, as well?” Gabriel asked. Adrien nodded. He was right to be suspicious.

“Yes, shortly after you called me. He should be on his way there soon,” Adrien said. Gabriel nodded in satisfaction. 

“Well, we should get straight to the details,” his father said. Adrien nodded as Nathalie placed a cup with some blood wine beside him, just in case he got thirsty. She then circled to the other side of the table and took a seat beside Emelie. 

She began to tug down the collar of her shirt and just as Gabriel began to speak, Emelie kissed Nathalie on the cheek and then sealed her lips over Nathalie’s neck. Nathalie remained calm and still, keeping her eyes on some papers in front of her. 

“You are aware of Ollon-ner’s recent plans to add additional coven centers in Paris, yes?” 

“Yes, father.” Coven centers were coven-run resource shop and clinic of sorts for immortals. They provided emergency medical services to heavily wounded immortals who were not healing fast enough for one reason or another, as well as helped newcomers to an area settle. They were an integral part of their community and there was a shortage in Paris. “Have they decided?”

“Yes, in République.”

“Oh, so that’s why we were called.” A bit of relief filled him. They must’ve just wanted them to be of help to the new center once it was established. 

“That’s part of it, yes,” Gabriel said. He looked over to Nathalie, who slid a manila folder across the table to Adrien.

Curious, he reached forward to take it and opened it. There were several sheets, including the layout of a building that was going to be the new center. However, what caught his attention was the small photo of a pretty, smiling young woman. 

“Is she going to be the mistress of the new coven center?” Adrien asked. 

“She is the granddaughter of Master Rolland Dupain, the current head of Ollon-ner,” Nathalie said. “They want additional protections for her.” 

At once, Adrien tensed. So that was the real reason his father called.

Ollon-ner was one of the oldest covens in Europe, established as it was now during the time of the Gauls. They were influential and instrumental in protecting the immortals of the region. Every vampire house and lycanthrope tribe in Central Europe held them in high esteem. For the coven to request protection for one of their own meant she was important.

“The granddaughter of the head, huh....” Adrien said. 

“That’s not all,” Gabriel said. “Keep reading.” 

Adrien looked back down at the papers. As he read the covennite’s additional connections, he began to feel it was strange that someone of her lineage would be allowed such a position that could put her in danger. 

He lifted his head and looked at his father. “Her paternal grandmother is a scion of Veritas?” The Roman Coven of Southern Europe; they were best known for infiltrating the church and stopping various witch hunts as well as push for science and reason to overshadow dangerous superstition that could destroy them.

“Lady Gina is a sister of the current Veritas Coven head,” Nathalie said. “In addition, her mother’s family is the Cheng Coven, blood related to the Coven head.” 

Adrien knit his brows together. “Isn’t she a bit too high ranked to become a center mistress?”

“Adrien, her name is Marinette,” Emelie said, gently dabbing her red lips with a white napkin. Nathalie’s puncture marks were fully healed. “And she just moved to Paris, though she was born here.” 

“Master Dupain said she was insistent to be the one to run the new coven center and has refused coven provided guards from all her relatives,” Gabriel said. “It’s not unheard of for a covennite to run a center by themselves, but Marinette is no average covennite and in a densely populated area.”

“She’s practically a princess,” Adrien said, flipping through the sheets. “The best education she could ask for... she studied and did her practical experience at some of the busiest centers in the world. She looks very capable.”

“She’s also very stubborn,” Gabriel said. “There is a settled community in République and she is confident she can care for it. She feels having guards would make the center suspicious to humans, as well as felt it was a waste of manpower. She wouldn’t hear of it and so Master Dupain reached out to us to see if there is anyone in the area who could possibly look out for his granddaughter.”

“Without her knowing,” Nathalie said. “That is the caveat. Miss Marinette is not to know that she is being watched over.” 

“All we’re asking is that you befriend her,” Emelie said. “Make sure she’s adjusting well and help her out when you can. There is still much for her to do to prepare the center.” 

Adrien raised a brow. It was a bit strange to be asked to make friends with someone at his age, but he supposed everyone had their reasons to encourage it. It wouldn't hurt to be on good terms with a highly skilled mistress of a center, anyway. 

“Of course, Maman. I’d be happy to make friends with her. She seems pleasant.” 

Emelie looked pleased, but Gabriel took a sip of his bloodwine. “One more thing, son. She is still the granddaughter of several very powerful covens.” He gave him a pointed look. “Don’t become.... _ too _ intimate.” 

* * *

“She’s a very sweet little lady,” Jagged said from a large, comfortable sunken couch of his sprawling home just outside of the city. He tuned a guitar as Luka looked over a small, stapled stack of papers topped with a picture of Jagged and a pretty blue-eyed brunette at what looked to be a meet and greet of a concert. “And it’s not as if ol’ Tom thinks his daughter is weak; how could she be with a bloodline like that? It’s just that with the recent incidents and evidence of hunters in the city, he wants to take additional precautions to ensure her safety, you know?”

“I get it,” Luka said. He leaned back against the couch and reviewed the documents provided him: a small dossier of a  _ Mademoiselle  _ Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the layout of what would be the newest Coven Center in Paris, located conveniently diagonally across from the building where he and Adrien lived. In fact, he was sure he could see the corner building from their kitchen window. “We’d be happy to meet her and welcome her to the neighborhood. I’m sure we can help introduce others in the area to the new center, as well.”

A wide, proud smile filled Jagged face. “See, I knew you were the right one to go to! That’s my boy! Take home some steak. Penny! Penny! Do we have any more of those saffron marinated beef rib-eyes?” 

As he shouted across the room to his every busy covennite mate, Luka continued to look over the information they provided. He’d have to go over this with Adrien, but he was sure Adrien wouldn’t mind. 

There was a shortage of coven centers in Paris and to have one practically right across the street would be beyond convenient. They could get their flat re-charmed, Adrien could get blood packets when needed instead of having to go all the way across town or lure a stranger or rely on him, and if they were injured or ill, a center had the resources to get them healed. 

Vampires and lycans were more durable and healed much faster than humans, but if they lost too much blood or were too weak to facilitate healing, they could succumb to wounds and illness just like a mortal. Covennitess, who while not dying of old age, didn’t have the same durability and healing factors, so they long developed medicines and ‘spells’ to counteract injury and disease that luckily worked for other immortals. 

In addition, they could manipulate time and energy - at least that’s how he understood it. The more a covennite studied, the better handle they had on their ‘magic’. That was why ancients covens were so esteemed; they possessed incredible knowledge. In return, vampires and lycans provided them with whatever physical aid they needed. 

Bodyguard work, transport escort, general heavy lifting. 

In Marinette’s case, she seemed quite young; about his and Adrien’s age. He looked over the top of papers, at Jagged. 

“Is there anything else we should know?” 

“Ah, there is,” Jagged said, settling down. “Marinette doesn’t know that her family has asked for local protection, yeah?”

Luka gave him a nod. She couldn’t know that they were trying to protect her. “Why was she so against having other covennites guarding her? Veritas has their own little military, don’t they?” 

“Marinette brought up some good reasons. They’d need to relocate various guards and then there would be an influx of covennites in an area already difficult to find real estate in. It took a year just to secure that building for the center.” 

Those were legitimate reasons.

“Also, Marinette is very proud of her abilities as an officially authorized and trained to run a center. She doesn’t want to rely on her family to do what she feels she can do on her own.” 

Luka thought it was strange for a Covennite to think. They were typically well networked, but he could understand the suffocating pressure of constantly being watched and told what to do by one’s family. Not for him, but for Adrien. 

It took years for Master Agreste to let Adrien live outside the manor and even then, it was still within the city and with someone trusted like Luka. He sympathized with Marinette’s search for freedom and independence. Even if he wasn’t given a sort of mission to play secret bodyguard for her, he probably would’ve befriended her anyway simply due to proximity. 

And she was kind of cute. 

He smiled to himself and placed the papers at his side, and found himself face to face with a large package of pink butcher’s paper. 

“It’s still fresh,” Penny said. “So eat it soon, okay?” 

He chuckled and accepted it. “Got it. Thanks, Penny.” 

They then had one of the drivers take him back to his flat, despite his assurance that just to the nearest metro station would be fine. Jagged insisted on the car and Luka didn’t argue against the tribe head. 

When he got to the flat, it looked like Adrien wasn’t back yet. If he was called to the manor for the same reason Luka was called to see Jagged, then he should’ve been back already, but chances were Adrien was spending time with his beloved mother. The two were close and Luka found himself a bit envious. 

His own mother succumbed to a bloodborne disease that swept across the vampire and lycanthrope communities when he was in his early teens. Anarka, then tribe head, assigned long time friend Jagged the role and Jagged did what he could to prepare Luka to take over, as what he felt was right. 

It was the covens who isolated the disease and developed a cure. It was too late for his mother, but it saved his younger sister. He owed that much to the covens and was more than happy to repay them where he could. 

He glanced out the kitchen window of his flat after putting the meat in the fridge. He could see the four story corner building down the street and furrowed his brows. It wouldn’t hurt to go check it out even though it was still dark. 

He headed out the door, glancing at his phone. It was still five in the morning. No one was out yet. He tugged his leather jacket closer to him and zipped it up as he walked down the street. 

The corner building was a shop on the lower level and from what he could see, it was still covered in most parts with brown paper, hiding the interior. While all coven centers provided the same general services to the community, how the center itself was set up to blend in with its surroundings differed by environment. 

Some looked like cafes. Others were music stores. 

This one looked like it was going for a fashion boutique. 

Luka came to a stop across the street. 

The corner shop front had a single window uncovered and from the light, there was still work going in within, past the display models. The door was now painted a pastel pink and the modest sign above it had a name in cursive. It was pink with gold and white; definitely a boutique. 

He chuckled to himself, envisioning asking for a packet of blood amongst racks of stylish clothes and mannequins. A bell rang and he looked towards the sound just as the pink door swung open and hit the side of the shop. 

A tower of empty boxes haphazardly piled atop one another swayed over a pair of dusty skinny jeans and black ballerina flats. There was no way it wasn’t going to collapse and before he could stop himself, Luka was crossing the street.

“Oh, no....” He heard a frantic voice mutter from behind the shaky tower of cardboard. It began to teeter and he quickened his speed. 

“I’ve got you.” The rain of boxes couldn’t be stopped, but he managed to sweep up the petite being, saving her from a hard landing on the cement. She shut her eyes tight, grabbing on to him. Her now empty hands were clamped on to his arms. “Are you all right?” 

She cracked open one clear blue eye and looked up. Her face seemed to fill with color in an instant. He smiled. He recognized her at once.

So, this was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the future mistress of their local coven center. He could already tell that he’d like her.

“I...uh...umm, yes, I’m fine,” she said, red to the tips of her ears. Luka pulled her up to her feet and she struggled to stand, ripping her arms off of him. She pulled away and turned around. “I’m so sorry, didn’t see you there-” 

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I’m glad you’re okay.” His voice was low and calm, hoping to spare her embarrassment. He looked around them and bent down. “You were taking these to the dumpster?” 

“I...yeah, the...um....” Marinette bit her lip and blinked. “I mean, yes! I was on my way there when it, you know... _ timber _ !” She let out a laugh, but seemed to cringe at her own joke.

He gave her a throaty chuckle and began to collect the boxes in a pile. “If you flatten them, they’re easier to stack and carry.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I know,” she said, defeated. “I was just in a hurry to clear out before sunrise....” She trailed off and rubbed the back of her neck. Luka continued to pick up boxes and she tried to stop him. “Wait! What are you doing?”

“Flattening the boxes,” he said, giving her a small smile. “You’ll fit more in the dumpster if they’re flat, too.”

“Right, I know that, but what are  _ you _ doing?” she said, this time with more urgency. She snatched the box away from him. “You don’t need to do that! I should clean up my own mess.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “It’ll be faster if I help. Plus, there are a lot of boxes on the ground.” 

Her eyes flickered to the various boxes spilling outside her doorway and she chewed on her lower lip. 

“I don’t want to keep you,” she said. “And it’s my fault.” 

He paused for a moment. “If you’re sure,” he said. “But if you need help, I’d be happy to. I’m not in any rush.”

She hesitated. 

“My name is Luka, by the way,” he said, sensing her uncertainty. “Luka Couffaine.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. “Luka Couffaine? Master Jagged’s heir?” 

He drew his head back, surprised. “You’ve heard of me?” 

“Well, yeah! Of course! Master Jagged has maintained close ties to my father’s coven.” Marinette looked stunned. “I’ve spoken to him multiple times. He speaks very highly of you.”

He laughed once more, somehow pleased by this knowledge. No wonder Jagged described her as ‘a sweet little lady’. “Well, I try. Should we finish picking up the boxes?”

“The boxes...? The boxes!” Marinette said, flushing once more.. She shook her head, as if to pull herself from her stupor. “Sorry, I really must be holding you. I’m sure you’re super busy and have places to be.”

“It’s no trouble. I was just going for a walk before the sun rose. I heard a new coven center was being built here. You wouldn’t be the new mistress, would you?”

Her face lit up and Luka took pains to keep from smiling further. His heart quickened at the bright expression on her face. “Yes! I’m sorry, I didn’t even introduce myself.” She extended her hand and flashed a warm smile. “My name is Marinette.” 

“Marinette.” His hands gave hers a small squeeze as he smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.” 

* * *

Don’t sleep with her. 

Don’t break her heart.

His father had tried to warn him as tactfully as possible. His esteemed mother had rolled her eyes and Adrien quietly wondered what exactly his father thought of him. He didn’t go around randomly seducing women, as was the vampire stereotype. Still, he assured them that he would be cordial and that he wouldn’t do anything to insult or cause Ollon-ner to look badly on their family. He handed the dossier of Marinette Dupain-Cheng back to Nathalie and drank some blood wine with his family.

Since it was a fairly rare visit, he spent the rest of the night at the manor catching up with his mother and talking over various family related things with his father. There were reports of three more missing vampires since he’d last visited. They were presumed hunted and if that were true, then there hadn’t been that many hunted immortals in one area for over two hundred years.

What was worse was that they didn’t have much to go on to try to find out who was behind the hunts and stop them. They were fairly certain it was a human group: each immortal group had their own subsets that enforced their rules and laws. They were closely monitored and orders were well recorded. 

If a vampire lost their mind and went on a killing spree or was randomly attacking humans, then the vampire community would step in and dole out punishment. Since feeding never required death, killing humans was unnecessarily and would be punished by beheading by “the swords”; the collective name for vampires who hunted other rogue vampires. 

Adrien wanted to be one since he was a child, thinking that the life of a sword was exciting and gallant. However, his father quickly put an end to that idea, although he was allowed to take fencing and various martial arts classes. Now that he was older, he supposed his place was as heir and doing more logistical things for the vampires of Paris. 

Still, the opportunity to protect someone directly made him feel like he was doing more and he welcomed it. 

He was dropped off at his building a little after five in the morning, but Luka wasn’t back yet. Or rather, he had returned before and then went out again from the new meat in their otherwise empty fridge. He took a moment to stare at it and made a mental note to get some spare blood packets. 

As he closed the fridge door, he looked up and through the kitchen window. The building where the new coven center would be stared back at him from the corner. Since there was some time before the sun rose, it wouldn’t hurt to walk over. 

He tugged the collar of his jacket up as he walked down the street, in the direction of the building. The papers he read said that it was still being set up and wouldn’t open for another month, but by now, the new mistress should’ve arrived. 

As he neared, he caught the door open from the corner of his eye. A familiar figure walked outside, an arm holding a stack of cardboard. Adrien stopped where was. 

“Luka?” 

At first, he thought he was seeing things. As the man walked back around the corner, Adrien recognized every single aspect from the worn, comfy kicks on his feet to the blue tipped hair. 

Luka walked back into the building with a boutique facade and Adrien’s jaw dropped. 

He crossed the street and made his way to the warm glow of light coming from the shop’s window. There was a nice dress and a corresponding suit on a mannequin on the window display, but he didn’t pay any attention to them. 

Instead, he lingered a few paces away, peering through the glass at the counter on the other side. 

Luka was shrugging off his jacket as a pretty young woman stood on the other side of the counter, pouring him some coffee into a red ladybug themed mug. Luka placed his jacket across the counter beside it.

Adrien couldn’t hear what they were saying, but whatever Luka said made the young woman laugh. He tilted his head to the side and squinted. 

That was her - the new mistress. He watched Luka lean over the counter and brush his hand against hers before picking up his mug. The woman looked down, an intent smile on her face as she blushed. 

“Marinette....” That was her name and it slipped from his lips as he felt his heart beat skip. Her photo didn’t do her justice. 

“Adrien?” A bell drew him from his thoughts and he blinked. The warm yellow light cast over him as he stood at the doorway, his hand still holding on to the worn brass handle of the boutique door as two pairs of blue eyes settled on him. Luka sat up straight and smiled. “Hey, you’re back.” 

“I....” When did he wander in? He looked around the shop and found its racks and shelves half empty with a pile of boxes still pushed up against the wall. 

“So you’re Adrien.” Her sweet voice drew his attention back to the counter and he saw her place another mug on its surface. “Master Agrete’s son, right? Please, have a seat. I made some coffee since Luka was helping me with my shop. Would you like some?” 

“This is...your store?” he asked. Out of all the things he could say, that was the only thing he seemed to relay. 

She giggled. “Yes, but the store part is just a front. This is going to be a coven center I’ll be running.”

Adrien blinked. “Right! Yes!” He put on a bright smile and approached the counter. “I heard about that. I’m so glad you’re here. We have such a shortage in Paris. This is going to be very helpful.”

“I was telling Marinette that she’s free to depend on us since we’ve been here a while,” Luka said as Adrien took a seat beside him on the counter. “We live right across the street.”

“That’s great. As soon as I get this place up and running, I wanted to start inviting all those in the neighborhood to get familiar with the center,” Marinette said, pouring Adrien some coffee. It wouldn’t give him any energy, but the smell was nice. Vampires could still taste and he liked the taste of coffee. 

“We’ll spread the word,” Luka said. He leaned across the counter and caught Marinette’s eyes. “Like, I was saying, Adrien and I play at  _ Le Chevalier _ , you should come.”

“It’s an immortal club,” Adrien said. “There are a lot of young vampires and lycans you can meet and let them know about the center.”

She looked pleased and Adrien smiled. “That would be wonderful! I have my hands full getting everything set up, but as soon as it’s ready, I’ll be sure to do that.” 

She gave them a run through of what she expected the center to look like and how it would function when it was complete. The lower basement level was already done; it held the bulk of the items it would be stocked with. The refrigerator and freezers were installed the other week and the back area of the building was being prepared to receive any wounded in a sort of mini-hospital. 

Throughout her entire explanation, Marinette looked upbeat and proud, eager to help her new community. And Adrien found himself stealing glances at her and smiling. 

“Oh, no, it’s almost sunrise.” Marinette’s smartwatch began to beep and she looked up at the two with an apologetic expression. “I’ve kept you guys here for almost three hours, I’m sure you’re tired by now. I’m so sorry. I just got so excited....” 

“No, it’s no problem at all,” Adrien said. “I’m glad we got to take a look around. I’m really happy -  _ we’re _ really happy to have you here.” 

Luka raised a brow in question, but looked back at Marinette. “I agree, it’s comforting to know that such a place is so close. Thank you for coming here and for giving us some coffee.” 

“Don’t mention it. Thank you for all your help with the boxes and for...uh...you know.” Marinette glanced away as she blushed at Luka. “Saving me and all that.”

“I’d be happy to do so any time.” Adrien’s eyes locked onto Luka as he gathered his jacket from the counter. Luka lifted his phone out of his pocket and gave her a thoughtful look. “Would that be all right?” 

He was getting her number? Adrien felt his stomach twist just a bit. He wanted her number, too. 

“Oh!” Marinette seemed to reach back into her own pocket to find her phone. “Of course! Yes!” She fumbled with her phone, apologizing as she closed and reopened random apps. She gave Luka her number and he pressed it into his phone before dialing. Her face lit up as his number appeared on her screen. “Thanks, Luka!”

Adrian watched with a heavy feeling in his chest as Luka gave her that kind, gentle smile as he stepped back, paper bag in hand. That was the smile he reserved for people he genuinely liked. 

“I’ll see you around, Marinette.” She gave him a small wave of her hand, a dreamy look on her face as Luka reached him and turned him around, maneuvering him out the door. “C’mon, Adrien. Let’s go.”

“Right! Umm...it was nice meeting you, Marinette!” Adrien gave her a wave and Marinette returned it with a smile. The door closed behind them and Adrien looked up at Luka. “You saved her?”

“She almost fell trying to carry out a bunch of boxes,” Luka said. “By the way, did your father talk to you about her?”

“About watching over her? Yeah. And Jagged?”

They crossed the street and Luka nodded. “Same. Are you okay with it?”

Adrien nodded and looked back across the street. The lights on the ground floor of the building turned off. “Yeah...she seems really nice.”

He almost didn’t catch Luka give him a curious glance before looking forward. “It’s not a competition, you know.” 

Adrien lowered his eyes. Of course Luka would know how he felt. No one could read people like Luka could. “I know....”

“If I’m going to share with anyone, it would be with you.” 

A small smile tugged at Adrien’s lips. “But if she picks me....”

Luka chuckled and gave him a teasing nudge with his elbow. “We’ll see about that.” 

* * *

“Adrien!” He looked up from his phone and saw her neat bun bouncing up and down with every quick step she took down the sidewalk to get to  _ Le Chevalier _ . The club by the river was packed for Friday night and through the thick walls and shut metal door, he could hear the sound of drums and guitar, as well as someone’s voice screaming over the crowds. 

While they invited Marinette weeks ago, she hadn’t been able to tear herself away from readying her coven center. Everytime he and Luka went by, Marinette was hard at work. Sometimes, she was putting together furniture, other times she was dragging and organizing vials they didn’t recognize. 

They would often come over just to help. Just yesterday, they were dressed in their most worn clothes, painting the inside of the front shop portion. 

After three weeks, they’d grown rather close to the cheerful covennite and Adrien often forgot that he was asked to watch over her. He was sure Luka was the same. Marinette because someone they sincerely grew to cared about. 

And while their flirting was mainly met with embarrassed blushing and shy stammering, Marinette still showed them affection of her own. They’d fallen asleep on her sofa and she covered them with blankets and went out of her way to get them something to eat. They talked about everything and a few times, Marinette would snuggle between them for naps, confident that no harm would come to her. 

Adrien liked the relationship the three of them had. Marinette fit right in with him and Luka and he hoped that wouldn’t change. Tonight, they were having her come to share more of their lives with her and she looked excited to be there.

His set with Luka was later, so he volunteered to wait for Marinette just outside the club to let her in. Covennites didn’t give off a sharp scent like vampires or a musky lycanthrope one; they smelled just like humans and the guard on the other side of the door wouldn’t know if she was one of them or an immortal.

Mariette looked to have changed from what she was wearing the night before. Her usual jeans and shirt she wore to work on the center, stocking items and organizing spaces, were gone in favor of sleek black pants and a long sleeve white blouse over camel pointed toe flats. She looked like any other Parisian just shuffling from work to evening drinks with friends. 

“Marinette.” He smiled and slid his phone into the pocket of his dark coat. “Did you get some rest?” 

“A little,” she said. She reached up, placing her hands on his arms and kissing him on each cheek as a greeting. “Do I have any paint on me?”

He gave her a once over, his hands sliding down to hers, and smiled, shaking his head. “You look beautiful.”

She blushed and giggled. “I’m sure I look tired. I couldn’t stop painting after you two left.”

He put an arm around her waist and led her towards the reinforced door. “Luka told you get some sleep before we left.” 

“I know, I know, but I was just so-”

“Excited,” Adrien concluded. She flushed, embarrassed, and he chuckled. “I know, but it wouldn’t do to have our coven center mistress exhausted before she even opened it. Like we said, if you need help, we’re just across the street.”

“You two have already helped me so much,” Marinette said as he lifted his hand and knocked on the door. “I don’t want to take up your time.”

“We don’t mind at all,” Adrien assured her. A small rectangle towards the top of the door slid open and a pair of eyes looked down. Adrien beamed a smile at it. “It’s me. Our friend got here.” The space slid closed and the door was unlocked from within. Adrien took her hand. “Get ready, it’s loud.” 

She gave him a confused look and the door was pushed opened. The sound from within seemed to rush out and hit her. Marinette jumped in place, her eyes wide as the music poured out. 

She looked up at him and squinted. “You’re right!” 

He laughed and took her hand. “Stay close! I’ll introduce you to some of our friends while Luka’s playing.”

He led her inside and could see Mainette looking up and around the crowded, dimly lit room. The bar was to one side and at the other end of the room was the stage. She craned her neck and gasped. 

“Is that your band?” she asked, trying to shout over the crowd screaming along with the vocalist. 

“Yeah, that’s Kitty Section,” Adrien said. “They’ll come to the table when they’re done!” She nodded, looking towards the band and probably at Luka. 

A group of screaming women were at the band’s feet, many reaching towards Luka, who paced forward and back in his little part of the stage as he played. Adrien wanted to try to get his attention and motion towards Marinette to let him know she arrived safely, but Luka was probably too deep into the music. 

He led Marinette to a table against one wall where a woman with blonde hair braided into smaller strands sat. She seemed to catch a glimpse of them arriving and stood up to greet them. 

“Marinette, this is Mylène,” Adrien said. “She’s a covennite.” 

“My lady,” Mylène said, bowing her head before extending her hand. “Welcome to Paris! Adrien and Luka told us so much about you.”

“It’s a pleasure!” Marinette yelled over the music. She grasped Mylène’s hand with both and gave her a warm squeeze. “And please, just call me Marinette. I’m here to run a center as its mistress, not as a member of my family.”

Mylène still bowed her head in acknowledgement. Adrien pulled out a seat for Marinette and took one beside her. He lifted his hand to call for a server just as the music ended and applause rang through the room. Marinette seemed to automatically clap and look towards the stage. 

Rose, the short blonde lead singer of the group waved to everyone and informed them they’d be taking a short break, then Adrien would join them on stage. There were several screams of excitement and Marinette laughed, turning to Adrien.

“You sure are popular!” 

He blushed and kept a hand on hers. A few moments later, the band arrived and Marinette rose to her feet with Adrien beside her. 

“Marinette, you made it.” Luka smiled as he reached them. He approached Marinette and they exchanged kisses on the cheek. “Was it easy to find?”

“Yes, the instructions you gave were perfect and Adrien was waiting for me,” she said, giving Adrien a fond look. Luka nodded and motioned towards the other members of the band. “I’d like you to meet my sister, Juleka. She’s on bass. Our drummer, Ivan. He’s of my tribe, as well, and is Mylène’s husband. My sister’s wife is our vocalist, Rose, from House Lavillant.”

“That was you?” Marinette’s eyes were wide. “You sounded amazing!”

Rose gleefully grabbed Marinette’s hand and shook it. “Thanks! It’s great to finally meet you. We’ve been needing a center near us for a while now.”

“It’ll be up and running by next week.” Marinette seemed to promise them. “I’m just waiting for the blood to arrive.” 

“No rush,” Rose said, taking a seat on Juleka’s lap. She gave her wife a quick kiss on the cheek. “I can always feed off of Juleka.” 

“Did everyone order drinks?” Luka said. He sat down beside her and placed his arm around the back of her chair. 

“I just did. I also ordered some venison slices for you guys,” Adrien said. 

Luka gave him a small wink and looked across the table. “We asked Marinette to come here today to sort of introduce herself. We want to start advertising the center now that all the spells have been put in place to keep mortals from walking into it.” 

Marinette nodded. “I also do house calls, so if you need anything re-charmed, let me know. I usually just go with a sound confinement spell, illusion shield, and if you’re a vampire, perpetual night.” 

“Ooh! That’s where the windows are all magically tinted, right?” Rose asked. 

“We’ve been wanting that,” Juleka said. “How much is it?”

Marinette leaned forward. “For you, don’t worry about it. Your brother and Adrien have helped so much with getting the center ready, I’d be happy to re-charm your home free of charge.” 

Rose clapped her hands together, looking pleased. The server arrived and placed several drinks around the table, including a large plate or raw, dark meat slices. Mylène shared her bowl of fruit with Marinette as the lycans ate and Adrien and Rose drank some blood wine. 

The plate of meat was finished off just as someone from the club came to tell the band that they were up soon. 

“We’ll be back.” Luka kissed Marinette’s cheek and Adrien kissed the other as they rose, making her face heat up once more.

“Order anything you want,” Adrien told her. “We’ll see you a bit.”

Marinette nodded, a red flush still across her face. 

“Did you tell her about the paint on her temple?” Luka asked as they made their way to the stage. 

Adrien smiled. “No...she looks cute.” 

“Yeah, she does.” The two laughed to themselves as they reached the stage. As they stood with their instruments, the screaming around them intensified. Adrien waved to the crowd, earning him a chorus of his name shouted back at him. “Popular as ever.”

“They were just screaming your name ten minutes ago.” 

Luka grinned and ran his pick through the strings, sending the sound of his guitar across the club. The yelling continued on and Ivan hit the drums, starting off their song. Rose grabbed the microphone, bobbing her head to the beat. 

A sharp scent suddenly filled Adrien’s nose and he tensed. Smoke?

“Fire!” Rose yelled into her microphone, her eyes wide as she looked across the room, at the bar along one side. Smoke was coming from behind it with flames rising. The music died at once. 

Luka grabbed the microphone from Rose. “Everyone remain calm,” he began. “Start heading towards the door-”

“It’s stuck!” Adrien heard the cry from someone near the front of the room. He could see the bouncer, a large lycanthrope, pushing against the door to no avail. 

“Adrien! Get Marinette!” Luka said. 

“Rose, check the back emergency doors,” Adrien said, whirling around and running off the stage. “Ivan! Help Maurice with the main door!”

The large drummer got off his seat and Adrien could hear the cracking of bones and popping as Ivan seemed to double in size, shifting from his human form to a towering bipedal werewolf. Dark fur covered him and his face began to protrude; a muzzle with a row of jagged teeth appeared.

“Give him room!” Luka said into the microphone. The crowds before them seemed to push to get to one side and leave a clear path for Ivan to jump off the stage and run towards the heavy metal door. 

A crash was heard and Adrien looked over the masses. The door budged a few centimeters at most, but not nearly enough space to let anyone out. More screaming was heard, only this time they were panicked. 

Adrien reached the table and found Mylène looking around, worried. “Where’s Marinette?” 

“I don’t know! She was right here a second ago!”

The sound of glass shattering filled the air and he whirled around, unsure if he was searching for who broke the glass or Marinette in the confusion. His caught the light from the street lights outside pouring in through the narrow windows high on the walls. They were meant to be high enough not to let passersby look in, but it also meant they couldn’t be used as an escape route.

“Juleka, the window!” Luka reached them, along with Juleka and Rose. From the look on Rose’s face, the emergency back doors were stuck, as well. “See what’s blocking the door!”

Adrien shook himself out of his stupor. He turned towards the window again and saw someone climbing through. “Rose, go with Juleka and try to clear whatever is keeping the door shut!”

“On it!” Rose said, sweeping past him.

“Adrien, where’s Marinette?” Luka asked, turning in a circle as worry filled his face. 

“I don’t know; she wasn’ there-”

“There!” Mylène pointed across the room and the two turned their heads. 

Standing by the edge of the bar, Marinette was dragging out the limp body of a man from behind it and handing him to someone nearby before holding her hands up to the sparking fire that seemed to be coming from the ground, below the bar itself.

“What is she doing?” Luka began to break through the crowd to get to her.

“I think she’s trying to subdue it,” Mylène said. “Very few covennites can control fire; it’s too volatile and requires a lot of concentration!” 

Adrien was already diving across the room to get to her. Luka reached her and tried to grab her arm. “Marinette!”

“Not now! I need to keep it contained!” 

“Can you put it out?” Adrien asked as he reached her. 

“There’s nothing to put it out with!” Marinette said. “Just get everyone out! I can’t hold it for long and it’ll take seconds for it to hit the other combustibles!” 

Luka let out a low growl and looked towards the door. He narrowed his eyes and put a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “The moment we get that door open, grab her and get outside,” he heard Luka whisper as he passed. Adrien nodded and remained within arms length of Marinette. He watched her as she held her hands out and could see the fire seem to swirl into itself, pulsing with energy that was trying to escape. 

Sweat trickled down the sides of her head as her blue eyes had become so dilated, only a sliver of blue remained around the edges. 

He heard thuds coming from the door and dared to glance over. Luka, the bouncer, and Ivan were all slamming their bodies against the door as smoke filled the room. Coughing was heard and a crowd was by the wall beneath the window, climbing up one by one to get to freedom.

A loud creaking was heard and the lycans reared back for one more shove. The door burst open and at once, the crowd that had been waiting rushed forward. The crush of evacuees began pouring through that direction, with screams of ‘hurry’ and ‘get away from the building’. 

Adrien turned towards Marinette and grabbed her arm. As soon as he did, the fire seemed to roar, raising into the air as it flared out. He could feel the full force of the heat againt his skin.

“Adrien!” Marinette yelled, turning her dilated eyes to him. “I need to-”

“You need to leave!” he said. “Let’s go!”

“I need to buy time!” she cried out, still trying to focus her energy with one hand. “Let me go!”

“I’m not leaving you!” He pulled on her, growing desperate. “Let’s go, Marinette!”

“No, I have to save them! It’s my job!” 

A pained look filled him as he looked at her and at the escaping crowd. He grit his teeth together. And it was his job to save her, but there was still a crowd of people trying to leave.

“Ten seconds,” Adrien said. That would clear the area and give them space to run out.

“What?” 

“Ten seconds and then I’m carrying you out of here, whether you like it or not!” He let go of her arm and Marinette threw him a thankful smile before turning her attention back on to the fire. It shrunk and the heat wasn’t too bad, but the smoke was still prevalent, covering the room in a thick, dark fog. 

It would become difficult to see and he engrained the route to the door in his mind as he counted down. 

“Five....”

“Adrien!” Luka was yelling for him. 

“Four....”

“Marinette!” He could see a figure slid in through one of the broken windows to get to them. 

“Three...two....”

“Let’s go!” Luka was at his side. 

“One.” 

Adrien turned and grabbed Marinette, wrapping his arms around her body and pinning her arms to hers as he hoisted her over his shoulder and ran towards the door. 

“Hurry!” Luka shouted as a ball of flames seemed to engulf the bar counter as soon as he picked Marinette up. 

“Luka, get in front of me!” Marinette coughed against the smoke. “I can still try to subdue it as long as I can see it!”

“Don’t worry about that,” Luka said. “Just keep running-”

Adrien didn’t hear the rest. 

There was an explosion, screaming, the sound of glass shattering, and then silence. 

* * *

There were three beds in the backroom, behind the ‘shop’ facade of the coven center, that were to be used for the injured seeking aide. They had helped her put them together just days earlier. They never expected to have Luka be the first laying on them.

“I’m sorry....” Adrien wiped at his eyes, trying to hold back his choked tears as Luka held on to his other hand. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong....” Luka was on his stomach, leaving his bare back and legs exposed to the chill air of the room. Red, blistering welts were in patches across his shoulders, his back, and various parts of his legs and arms. They were healing well; Luka was a healthy lycanthrope, and would likely be gone by morning, but they still hurt.

“I wasn’t fast enough. I should’ve been faster.”

“You were fast as you could be under the circumstances,” Luka said in a calm, gentle voice. “And I chose to stay behind you. I couldn’t let you two get burned when fire hit the liquor.” 

Instead, Luka acted as a shield. Shifting into his werewolf form in an instant to shield them as much as possible from the blast. Of all those present, Luka was the worst injured and Adrien blamed himself, though part of him knew there wasn’t much he could do. He was carrying Marinette and it was their priority to get her to safety.

“That’s enough, Adrien. You know I don’t blame you,” Luka said, squeezing his hand. “I’m all right. I’ll be all better soon.” 

“Don’t ever do that again.”

Luka seemed to smile to himself from the pillow. “You can’t stop me.” 

“But we can try,” Marinette said. She walked in, rolling a metal cart with a shallow rectangular metal pan carrying near opaque white liquid. “That was reckless,” she said as she put on gloves. 

“If I recall, there was a particular covennite who would’ve stayed if we didn’t carry her out,” Luka said. 

“I could’ve handled it.” Marinette’s clothes still smelled of smoke, but she didn’t seem to care. As soon as they were able to disperse the crowd, she had Ivan drive them back to her building and carry an injured and human-form Luka in through the back alley. She assured them that she would take care of Luka before they left so she could concentrate. 

She had Adrien help her cut off Luka’s clothes before disappearing to prepare a salve for his burns. She pinched the top corners of what looked like a large piece of wide gridded gauze sheets soaked in the liquid. She let it drip off most if the liquid before she began to lay them across the patches of burned skin.

Luka let go of Adrien’s hand and let out a moan of relief as she placed the sheets and strips of them on the burns. 

“How long do they have to be on?” Adrien asked. He bent down and watched the liquid seem to cover the burned skin. The effect was near instantaneous and he’d never seen artificially accelerated healing before. 

“Fifteen minutes and he’ll be good as new,” Marinette said, removing her gloves. “It’s a mixture to help cool burns and heal and encourage new skin growth. He won’t have any scarring.”  
“It feels nice, too.” 

She giggled and stroked his hair as she rounded the bed. Adrien caught the small smile on Luka’s lips as he closed his eyes. “Just rest, Luka. Thank you for what you did.” Marinette turned to face Adrien. “And you....”

“Me?” He wasn’t sure what she was going to say. Was she mad? 

Marinette stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Don’t do anything risky like that again.” 

Adrien’s eyes wide as his heart shot to his throat. He was unsure whether to embrace her back and his arms just hovered over her. “You’re the one who wanted to stay. I wasn’t going to leave you.”

“I wanted to control the fire until everyone was out safe,” she said. She pulled away and gave him a worried look. “You, included, Adrien. I don’t want to lose you.” 

His look softened. “And I don’t want to lose you.” 

Color filled her face once more as he took her hands and lifted them to his lips. He kissed them gently, holding her eyes as he did so. 

Marinette swallowed and she darted her eyes away. She let out a little cough, appearing flustered as she stepped back. “Um...are you thirsty?” she asked, stumbling backwards. “Have you eaten yet?”

“No, but-”

“I’ll get you something to drink!” She pulled her hands away from his and seemed to almost run to the door that led to the front of the shop. 

Adrien heard chuckling from Luka, still lying on the table. “What is it?” 

“I thought she didn’t have blood yet.” 

The door to the front of the shop opened once more, this time slower as a red-faced Marinette appeared behind it. 

“I don’t...have any blood yet,” she said, sounding half humiliated and half despondent.

Adrien couldn’t help but smile. She tried so hard, as she had been the moment she arrived, all for the sake of others. He found that admirable. “It’s okay, Marinette. I don’t need to-”

“Here.” She hopped on to one of the elevated beds beside Luka and began to undo the top buttons of her blouse. “You can drink from me.”

A small voice in the back of his head told him not to. Not because he didn’t know Marinette or because he didn’t need to, but because he wanted to more than he should’ve. He licked his lips and shook his head.

“No...no, I really shouldn’t,” he said. It was a feeble protest and he was counting on her to disagree.

“I insist.” He knew she would. She tilted her head to one side to expose more of her slender, pale neck. 

Adrien took a few steps towards her. She waited expectantly on the edge of the bed, her legs hanging off the side as she kept her yes diverted. The redness of her face hadn’t subsided. 

“Are you sure?” he asked as he stood in front of her. She lifted a hand and brushed some stray hairs back behind her ear. She gave him a nod. Adrien smiled softly and closed the gap between them. He kissed her forehead. “Thank you.” He whispered into her ear as he lowered his head. 

He could feel the heat of her skin against him as he moved his lips against the side of her neck. She shuddered and he put his hands on her shoulder to steady her. He opened his mouth and a moment later, heard her gasp as he broke through her skin.

Her hands grabbed onto his arms that were braced on either side of her and her nails dug into his skin as the sweetest blood he’d ever tasted coursed into his mouth and coated his tongue. He closed his eyes, leaning forward as her hands slid up his arms and over his shoulders. The hot liquid slid down his throat, filling him with warmth as her fingers played with his hair. 

It was intoxicating.

“Marinette....” He didn’t even realize he was saying her name as she arched back and was slowly lowered onto the bed. He climbed on top of her, carefully balancing his weight on his knees and forearms. 

She gasped for air as he kissed her, his mouth abandoning her now slightly red bruise on her neck. The weight of his body pressed down, his hips rolling against hers as she clawed at his back. He could feel her heart slamming against her chest as she tried to bring him as close to her as possible. 

His fingertips brushed the hot skin of her stomach as his hands tugged up her blouse and slid beneath the soft fabric. He moved his hand over her body, earning him sudden jerks of pleasure and the breathless panting of his name. 

Just before he moved to cup her breast, he heard shifting on the bed next to him.

“Are you two just going to continue here? In the back clinic while I’m healing?” 

His eyes flew up as the familiar calm voice laced with amusement cut through his daze. He lifted his head and looked through the parts of his disheveled hair. Luka was sitting up on the bed beside theirs, naked and peeling off the remains of the grid from his arms to examine the now clear skin. 

Marinette gasped and began to push against Adrien’s chest. “Sorry! I’m sorry! Let me take those off!”

She scrambled out from underneath him and Adrien sighed, laying across the bed with his head propped up on his arm, containing his disappointment. He wasn’t sure where kissing and fondling Marinette was going, but he was ready to take the journey. 

Redder than ever, Marinette rounded Luka’s bed to begin removing the grids she’d placed on him off. 

“How does it feel?” Adrien asked. 

“Good as new, like she said.” Luka held out his arm for him to check and Adrien sat up. He leaned forward and took hold of Luka’s extended arm, running his finger over the smooth, flawless skin that had, minutes earlier, been badly burned. 

“That’s amazing...,” he said. He really meant it. “What did you put on him?”

“Umm....” Marinette avoided his eyes as she continued to peel off the grids. “Do you know how vampires heal puncture wounds after they drink?”

“It’s something in our saliva,” Adrien said. 

Marinette nodded and glanced up. He caught her move her hand against her neck, where he had been drinking from earlier. He licked his lips at the fresh memory. 

“It’s a synthesized salve based on that. It works faster and is more concentrated. It can help facilitate healing on open wounds, too, but it needs grids like these to cover the wound,” Marinette said. 

She gathered the dried grids and turned to the cart she had brought them in on. She took an awkward step and ran into it, pushing it away with an audible crash as she struggled to grab on to the handle. The grids slipped from her hands and Adrien was on his feet. 

He grabbed the handle to steady the cart as Luka reached out and steadied her. 

“Are you all right?” he heard Luka ask. “Did he take too much blood?”

“No, no, I’m fine....” Marinette insisted, but she looked so red and embarrassed. “It was...um...I’ve never actually fed a vampire before. From myself, so I didn’t know that it would...uh.....”

Luka seemed to be trying to hold back a smile. “Feel that good?” 

She lowered her eyes and nodded. “I got carried away, didn’t I?” 

“I’m sorry to have interrupted.”

“No!” Her head shot up and she gave him a fervent shake of it. “You didn’t interrupt anything!”

“She’s right,” Adrien said. “I mean, how could we start without you?”

Marinette continued nodding. “Yes, how...wait...what?” She froze and looked at Adrien.

“Is that so?” Luka said with a light laugh. “Is it all right if I join you?” 

He was looking at Marinette with that fond, gentle look he carried for those closest to him. Marinette, however, was staring at him with her mouth open. 

“J....j....join me?” 

“With Adrien, of course,” Luka said, glancing up and meeting the blonde’s eyes and winking. “We tend to work best as a pair.” 

She whimpered.

Adrien took it as his cue to moved closer and stood behind her, pinning her between him and Luka. “If you want us to stay, just say the word.” 

“And if you don’t, we’ll head home right now,” Luka said. He lowered his head and grazed Marinette’s lips with his. Adrien kissed her neck once more, lingering there as his hands went up and down the sides of her body. 

“Tell us what you want, Princess,” Adrien’s warm breath rolled against her sensitive skin and she shuddered against him. 

Adrien closed his eyes as Marinette leaned upwards and kissed Luka. She moved between them and grasped their hands, leading them out of the back room and to the stairs that led to her living area. 

This was her answer and both he and Luka accepted it. 

_ Don’t get too intimate,  _ he recalled the words of his father several weeks prior.

Adrien sank into her warm, soft bed, bringing her down on top of him. 

_ Sorry, Father.... _

* * *

She opened her eyes and felt a slight familiar bodily ache; the one she got when she over exerted herself without the suit. Sometimes, she trained too long with little rest. Another time, she spent days trying to gather herbs for an antidote. This time, it was for a far more pleasant reason. 

Marinette pushed herself up into a seated position on her nice, new bed and felt the heavy arm of a blond slide down to her lap from where it was on her stomach. She ran a hand through her thick, dark hair and looked at the naked bodies on either side of her, still fast asleep from their activities that had lasted well into the dawn. 

She closed her eyes, recalling the main details of her mission.

“Adrien Agreste, heir to the Agreste House, and Luka Couffaine, heir to Tribe Seine. They’re rather prominent in République, which is disconcerting. It makes them easy targets for those hunters,” Nadja Chamack from Ollon-ner contacted her on behalf of a request from Master Agreste and Master Jagged to provide some additional protection for their heirs after the recent rash of missing and killed vampires and lycans in Paris. 

Marinette had just returned from Brazil to the Guardian Temple high in the mountains when she was called into a room to take a call from her father’s coven. Covennite technology combined with human technology made the chat through screens and cameras clear as Nadja, who worked with logistics and intra-immortal relations, told her that her grandfather had approved the request for her to return to Paris. 

“He wanted to send another, but you fit the requirements better,” Nadja said. “We will, of course, include additional guards-”

“No,” Marinette said, cupping the small ceramic tea cup in her hands. “I can handle it. Besides, I’ve always wanted to run my own center.” It was what she actually hoped to do since she was a child and though it was just a cover, she couldn’t help but jump at the chance.

“Yes, but running the center isn’t the main objective of the mission.”

“It’s to protect the heirs, I know,” Marinette said. “But I don’t want to make it too obvious that we’re doing that. Didn’t you say that it would cause panic if additional presence of coven guards were detected? It could be a sign that we’re starting to investigate and that could prompt a more aggressive hunt. We need to keep this as quiet as possible.” 

Nadja hesitated. “Marinette, we’re all very aware of your skills. You were granted a Miraculous, after all.”

“Then please trust me,” Marinette said. “I’ll prepare at support team before I leave, if that’ll help.”

Nadja continued to look uncertain. “All right. That will put Master Dupain’s mind at ease.” 

Marinette nodded. “I’ll get close to the heirs and make sure to keep them under my protection until we find out who is hunting the vampires and lycans of Paris.”

“We do not have a timeline for this, Marinette. We don’t know how long this could take.” 

“We’re immortal, Nadja; we have all the time in the world,” Marinette said. She gave the woman half way across the world a reassuring smile through the screen. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of them.” 

“I will note that you’ve accepted the mission then.” Nadja paused. “Oh, and I should note that the two heirs have a bit of a reputation.” 

“A reputation?” Marinette tilted her head to the side. 

“They’re quite popular. That is, be careful not to get too... _ attached _ to them.”

Marinette now opened her eyes and looked back Adrien on his stomach, nestled beside her, and Luka on his side, his arm that she had been sleeping on still across the pillow they shared. She bent down and stroked Luka’s hair out of his eyes. He stirred a little, kissing her fingertips as she caressed his face. 

She turned to Adrien and brought the blanket higher over his body. He snuggled closer to her and she smiled, playing with the golden curls of his hair through her fingers. 

“Don’t get too attached...,” she said to herself as a warm blush reached her cheeks. “Oops.” 


	2. The Coven Center Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now...a look into Marinette's far more hectic life.

Her initial attempt to sneak out of bed failed. With Adrien curled up next to her on one side and Luka on the other, she needed to climb over one of them to get to her clothes. Her wardrobe was on Luka’s side and so Marinette tried to maneuver her way off without waking him.

“What time is it?” His voice was gruffer than usual as his large hands rose and rested on her sides just as she was climbing over, her legs straddling his hips. His eyes were still closed and he seemed half asleep.

Marinette froze, hovering over his body with just a bed sheet between them. “Around noon,” she said. “You still have time to sleep.” 

“Hmmm....” His hands went up and down her sides, making her shudder as she lowered her head and rested it against his. 

“I need to get something for you two to eat,” she said in a breathy voice as she felt his lips against her neck.

“You don’t need to,” he said in between gentle sucks. “We have food at home.” 

She figured, but she didn’t want them to have to go home until she did a sweep of it. She had planned to go with them when they returned that night. Until then, she’d hoped to keep them safe at the center she’d fortified. 

“No...have the evening meal with me.” She tried to coax him. “Last night was crazy, just get some rest and wait for me.”

Luka pulled away and a hand reached up and stroked her hair back so he could see her face clearly. “After last night, are you sure it’s safe to go out alone?” 

Marinette gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s the middle of the day. I’ll be fine. Dark hunters don’t hunt covennites as easily since nothing about us stands out.”

“I think you stand out.”

Her smile widened and she kissed him softly. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

She pushed herself off him and slid off the bed. Marinette tugged up the blanket higher on him and went to change. 

Despite being in the middle of the day, her room was dark. She prepared perpetual night on all her windows when she moved in, in the likely scenario of having to house the two princes should it be too dangerous for them elsewhere. The scenario wasn’t exactly as she planned, but if she were being honest, it was a far better circumstance.

Marinette cut through her flat and headed to the stairs. She’d placed a silence charm, an individual in each room, but vampires and lycanthropes did have much better hearing than humans and covennites. Pursing her lips, she walked to the linen closet and opened the wooden door.

A carefully organized apothecary box was inside and she trailed her finger down one column before opening a small drawer. She took out a small purple and green crystal about the size of her thumbnail. She clasped it in her right hand as she closed the cabinet door and turned around. 

She stood in front of her bedroom door and placed her left hand on the doorframe. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She could feel the energy in the crystal begin to disintegrate, like sand in her clenched hand, as she transferred it into the silence charm, strengthening it. 

Her right hand unclenched and relaxed, the fluorite she had selected now infused into the energy surrounding her bedroom. 

She didn’t want them to find out she was there to protect them and not vice versa. 

Still, she crept up the stairs until she was near the top, attic area where she kept various boxes of extra things she might need and had brought with her. As she closed the attic door on the floor, she glanced around the dark room. 

“Tikki,” she said in a quiet voice. Something red and roundish shot out of her earring. 

“Good morning or...afternoon?” Tikki looked around. Marinette thought the little spirit, called a kwami, was absolutely adorable. She’d been with Marinette for years, when Marinette proved herself worthy to carry a Miraculous; a piece of crystal inlaid jewelry that kept a kwami. Tikki seemed to understand exactly what her master was thinking. “Are we going back now?”

Marinette nodded. “The coven should be investigating the fire. I want to check with them before they leave. Tikki, transform me.” The flash of red and pink coursed over her body, covering her in a red and black spotted suit. 

She walked to the glass doors that led out to a rooftop terrace. Before she opened it, she adjusted the black and clear crystals at its corner. She moved them over a piece of parchment marked with various symbols; a sort of covennite ‘alarm’. She walked out and closed the doors behind her. She unhooked the yo-yo from her hip and swung it towards another rooftop to sling herself away.

It didn’t take her long to get to the smoked out remains of the club. It was taped off around the front and the windows were all smashed. Black, charred markings seemed to frame the doorway and the windows from where the flames had shot out. There was a sharp, distinct burnt smell in the air.

Marinette landed in the back alley and returned her yo-yo to her hip. She could feel the energy in the air as she stepped through a thin barrier that hid the bustling covennite investigators from the mortals passing in broad daylight. As soon as she walked through, she saw various covennites accessing the damage. 

“My lady.” When one of them caught sight of her, the investigation seemed to halt as they turned to her and bowed their heads.

She returned their bow with a small nod of her head. “Where is Pegasus?”

“Here, my lady,” a voice said to her right. A covennite with silver hair pulled back and a black skin tight suit radiating the same energy as hers was kneeling beside her, holding a tablet. “We have been awaiting your arrival.”

“How goes the investigation?”

“It's as you were concerned it to be: arson,” Pegasus said. He stood up and held out his tablet. “We’ve dealt with the mortals, including the police and fire departments. We’ve also confiscated any security and CCTV footage within a kilometer radius to the bar.”

“Have it sent to Rena Rouge to be reviewed,” Marinette said. She narrowed her eyes as she looked over the notes on the tablet. “There was a garbage dumpster blocking the back and front doors?”

“Yes, both heavily weighted down and locked in place. The lycans and vampire that managed to climb through the window were able to unlock the wheels and roll the dumpster away from the front door.” 

“It was good that I broke the window and told someone to go check it then,” Marinette said in a low voice. She flipped through pictures taken within the building. The bar area was completely charred. She pursed her lips. “How did the fire start?”

“We believe it was supposed to come off as an electrical fire, but there was a pile of cloth near the area where the fire started. We interviewed the bartender; he doesn’t keep any of the towels there. Upon further inspection, these were rags and thoroughly soaked. There is evidence of tampering with the wires on the wall next to it.” 

“Aside from the bartender, who else would have access to that area?” 

“That particular corner is accessible from the other side of the bar. We believe the security footage can answer your question.” 

Marinette took a deep breath and released it. “How many were injured?”

“Slight smoke inhalation and minor burns, but for vampires and lycanthropes, any injuries and symptoms cleared within an hour or so by the time we arrived and the fire was extinguished. We’ve instructed those to seek assistance from the Montmartre Center or the Catacombs Center,” Pegasus said.

Marinette frowned and looked over the top of the tablet. “I can accept visitors at the Republique Center, now, as well.”

Pegasus seemed to hesitate. “My apologies, my lady, but we were instructed to give Montmartre and the Catacombs priority for the injured in order to keep you available for what we were told was an upper level assignment.” 

Her hands tightened around the tablet. “I see....” She thought that no one had come to her center because it wasn’t announced yet and no one knew it existed. “If the center is going to pass as one, it will need to have visitors. Please do not hesitate to direct them to me in the future.”

He hesitated, but bowed his head. “Yes, my lady.”

She handed him the tablet. “Is the building stable enough for a walk through.” 

“Yes, my lady.”

“Then take me through it.” 

The walk through took another hour and she reviewed what they could of the remains of the club. The electronic equipment was ruined and she stood in the area where the stage had been, looking down at the melted shell of a synthesizer and metal chords of a guitar. Along with the bass and the drums, those belonged to Kitty Section. 

“Does the club have insurance?” 

“Yes, my lady, Carapace has been assigned to deal with the mortal insurance firm to make sure everything is properly compensated.”

“Good,” she said. While she had no doubt that Adrien and Luka could afford to buy new equipment, they shouldn’t have to in this case. She took a deep breath. “Once Rena has completed reviewing the security footage, have her contact me for a meeting to discuss. In the meantime, I want the names and addresses of all who were here the night before. I want priority security watches on anyone who lives alone, as they’re better targets for dark hunters.”

“I will arrange the information, my lady.” 

“Thank you, Pegasus.” She walked with him towards the edge of the barrier, away from the Ollon-ners investigators finishing up. In a quieter voice, she sighed. “I’m sorry to have to pull you away from your studies for this, Max.”

He shook his head. “Are you kidding me, Marinette?” He took her calling him by his name to drop the formalities. “We’re making a big difference and I get a chance to test out this new software. As bad as the circumstances are, I’m glad you called me to be on your team.”

She gave him a wry smile. “Still, it’s more dangerous than before.” She untied her yo-yo from her belt and began to swing it. “We’ll be in touch!” 

He gave her one last bow as she swung off. 

She detransformed briefly to run into a butcher shop for meat for Luka. Adrien would be fine without blood after he drank from her the night before; a memory that made her blush just thinking about his lips against her neck and his hands all over her body. She shook herself out of her heated thoughts and perused for some spices to season the meat before tucking them away and transforming to get back.

Marinette landed on her rooftop and unsealed the door to get into the attic. As she walked through the door, she froze. She snapped her head in the direction of the little piece of paper on the frame and dropped the groceries on the ground. She ran to the attic door and tore it opening, jumping on the lower level before running down the stairs.

The paper was marked to resemble the floors of the building and the floor just above the center, where her kitchen and living area was, had a crystal moved over it. The crystal was set to react to foreign energies. Adrien and Luka wouldn’t have set it off.

Someone else was there. 

Strange. She didn’t get any notification of any doors or windows opening to the outside. She passed her bedroom and raised her hand to feel the energy. It hadn’t been opened. Adrien and Luka were still inside.

She ran down the stairs and could smell the heavy scent of coffee wafting up. Someone was inside her home. Her heart quickened as she reached the hall. 

“Tikki...transform me!” she said in a breathy whisper. A flash of red and pink swept down her body and she readied herself for whoever - or whatever - was awaiting in the kitchen. She jumped out, twirling her yo-yo and felt her chest tighten, unsure if it was with relief or frustration. “Nonna!?”

Her beautiful, dark-haried grandmother was smiling, making coffee from the counter. She was dressed sharp, as always, and seemed completely at home in her granddaughter’s new abode. 

“ _ Mia fada, _ I was wondering where you went,” she said, looking over her shoulder. “You weren’t here when I arrived.”

Marinette detransformed. “Nonna, what are you doing here? And how did you get in?”

Before answering, Gina leaned forward, making it clear she was waiting for a greeting kiss on the cheek. Marinette sighed and scrambled over, quickly giving her kisses and a hug before looking at her with a beseeching expression. 

“You didn’t seal your gateway from blood relations,” Gina said with amusement in her voice. “Bring me cups, _ mia dulce _ .”

“My gateway?” Marinette was following her grandmother’s orders none-the-less and going to the cabinet where she kept mugs. She looked at the pantry door across the kitchen. It held dry goods, as was expected, but the circular rose quartz placed at the top of the door frame allowed for a gateway to be created. 

She had set it to lead back to her parents’ house in case they needed to evacuate to somewhere safe, but no one was supposed to be able to come through. At least, she thought. 

“What if your parents came through?” Gina said, pouring out the delicious smelling coffee. She gave Marinette a knowing look. “And when you were with those two boys?”

Her face filled with color and Marinette took a step back. Of course her grandmother would know, but it was still embarrassing. “Last night, there was an attack and I wanted to keep them safe-”

“Oh,  _ mia fada, _ ” Gina said, shaking her head as she leaned back against the counter and took a sip of her coffee. She winked at Marinette. “There is no need to explain. I was young once, too.”

Marinette groaned into her hands. “Nonna....” 

“Drink and join me,” she said, heading towards the living room. Marinette took her red mug into her hands and followed. Gina took a seat on the sofa, sinking in and smiling as she patted the seat next to her. 

Marinette sat down, curling a leg beneath her as she brought the coffee to her lips. Her grandmother made the best coffee. “Nonna, what brings you here?”

“What else?” she asked. “I heard about what happened last night.”

Marinette frowned. “So soon?”

“I am a Veritas,” Gina reminded her. “You should know our network is extensive.” She lowered her cup and reached out for Marinette. She put her hand on her granddaughter’s lap and gave her a worried look. “Marinette, I am worried for your safety. I want to send the Praesidio here.”

Praesidio was the private guard of Veritas. And they didn’t just protect  _ anyone _ . “Nonna, we talked about this-”

“Just a few,  _ mia fada _ , please, for my sake,” Gina said, lifting her hand to her chest. “You are my only granddaughter and I worry. My brother has already given me approval to send some of my own here to guard you. Not many, as I said.” 

“I already have a team supporting me, Nonna. I told you, I’ll be fine.” 

Gina furrowed her brows and thought for a moment. “Then, not just for you, but for your team...and for the little princes, yes?”

She hit her weak point. Marinette lowered her eyes. “Why doesn’t anyone think I can do this?”

“It isn’t that we don’t think you can do it, Marinette. It is that a coven is a family.” Gina’s hand rose and cupped Marinette’s distraught face. “We do not go off alone. Always as a family; it is how we’ve survived all these millenia. We have back up plans and support and safety nets. All I want is a safety net for my only grandchild.” 

Marinette let out a heavy breath. “I don’t want to have to waste Veritas manpower. I’m already putting in orders for Ollon-ners.”

“When I married your grandfather, it was to strengthen the relationship between the two most powerful covens in Europe. Even though Roland and I have since separated, the connection from our union still stands. If Praesidio is here to watch over you and your princes, then Ollon-ners cannot say it is a breech into their territory as you are blood to Veritas.” 

Nothing was really stopping them, Marinette knew. If she refused and her grandmother still wanted, there would be Veritas soldiers stationed around her without her knowing. To tell her was a courtesy. 

“As long as they don’t get involved with the assignment or any investigations pertaining to the dark hunters,” Marinette said. Gina’s face lit up. She took her cup and Marinette’s and placed them on the small table before them so she could envelope Marinette in an embrace.

“Thank you,  _ mia fada _ ! I will send a half dozen.”

“A half dozen-”

“It is one forth of a unit!” Gina said. “That is small.” 

Marinette sighed. She should’ve had the number specified first. “All right,” she conceded. “And who will notify Ollon-nors?”

“It was my request, so I will do so,” Gina said, returning to her coffee. “Now, for the more important questions. Are you all ready here?” 

“Just about. I’m waiting for the blood delivery today,” she said. She smiled, a bit exhausted, but somehow still excited at the prospect of opening. “I’m officially open as soon as it arrives.”

“Wonderful,” Gina said. Her eyes crinkled up with mirth. “And you have meat?”

“Yes.”

“And all your supplies?”

“Yes.”

“And which one do you prefer?”

Marinette furrowed her brows and drank her coffee. “I actually really like the new software Max developed to help keep track of items in the cabinet automatically and can summon for refills if needed over the traditional manual method-”

“No, no,” Gina laughed and patted Marinette’s head. “So, cute...I am talking about them.” 

Marinette tilted her head to the side. “Them?” Gina pointed up and glanced at the ceiling. She was talking about who was on the floor above them. Marinette’s face heated up once more, scandalized. “Nonna!” 

“You don’t have to choose now,” Gina said, as if that would solve everything. She gave her granddaughter another wink. “You don’t even have to choose just one.”

Marinette tilted her head back and groaned. “It’s a bit early to be thinking about that, don’t you think?” 

“I’m just saying, your nonna likes them both and they have my approval,” Gina said. “Of course my granddaughter would have such good taste.”

Marinette tried to drown down the rest of her coffee. She heard a familiar click and footsteps above as someone walked out of the silenced room and into the hall. 

Gina looked up. “Oh, perhaps it is time to go.”

“Nonna....”

“Marinette?” Adrien called out from the hall where the stairs were. 

“I’m here,” she said, raising from her seat. Her grandmother stood up as well, as Adrien walked out, his shirt untucked and barefoot. Luka was yawning behind him and froze as he saw the other woman. “Adrien, Luka, my grandmother came to visit.” 

“Regina Maxima,” her grandmother said as she put down her empty mug and rounded the coffee table to greet them with a hug. “You can call me Nonna, too.” 

Marinette ran a hand down her face. 

“Oh! Good evening, Nonna!” Adrien jumped right into it, beaming and hugging the woman back as if they were familiar. “My name is Adrien.”

“And I’m Luka.” As soon as Adrien finished his hug, Luka was swept up. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nonna.”

“No, no, the pleasure is all mine. I just wanted to visit my little granddaughter,” Gina said, turning back to Marinette and cupping her chin. “I am so proud of her.” 

Marinette blushed further. “Will you be joining us for the evening meal, Nonna?” Adrien asked. He sniffed the air. “Someone made coffee.”

“Ah, that was me,” Gina said. “I am expected at my son’s soon. I just wanted to drop by.” She walked towards the pantry door and lifted her hand, waving it up, towards the crystal. It began to glow pink. “Marinette,” Gina said, looking back at her. “Do not forget to seal the gateway after I leave, yes?”

“Yes, Nonna.”

“Ohh....” Marinette was swept up in another embrace, crushed against her loving grandmother. “I am so proud of you,  _ mia fada _ . Be safe. I will look out for you.” She kissed the sides of Marinette’s head before she released her and opened the pantry door. 

The pantry was gone. Instead, it was just a black room; as if no light penetrated past the doorway. Marinette saw Adrien and Luka stare; it was likely they’d never seen a gateway before. It was rare and advanced, even for covennites. Even then, it was only used in emergencies...and by over indulgent grandmothers, apparently. 

Gina waved at the vampire and lycan. “Take good care of my Marinette!” she said as she stepped in. 

“Nonna!” Marinette flushed and as the last of her grandmother disappeared into the dark void, it seemed to collapse into itself, it faded away, revealing the stocked pantry behind it. She turned around. “Sorry about that, she’s just been worried since I moved here.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Luka said. Behind him, Adrien approached the pantry and looked around, fascinated. 

He stuck his hand through the doorway. “That’s so cool....” He whirled around to look at Marinette, his eyes sparkling. “How did she do that?”

“It’s a gateway,” Marinette said, pointing to the crystal above the door. “That is connected to several similarly charged crystals and can open a doorway powered by sister crystals. It’s usually used to connect families. Mine is connected to my parents’, but supposed to be one way. Nonna came in from Papa’s.” She dragged a chair to the pantry door and climbed on top so she could reach the circular crystal. Placed her palm on it to seal it. 

“Can anyone go through?”

“Yes, but it needs to be activated by the one who connected it,” Marinette said, climbing back down. “It’s usually just for emergencies, though.” 

“Was everything all right?” Luka asked from the counter, where he was pouring some coffee into a mug. 

“Yes,” Marinette said. “My grandma just wanted to see me. It’s been a while since I’ve been in Europe.” She gave them a smile as Luka offered Adrien his cup for a sip. She suddenly remembered Luka’s meat and gasped. “Oh! I bought meat. I’ll be right back. Sit and have some coffee. Nonna makes the best!” She rushed past them to get Adrien a cup of his own before handing it to him. She gave them each a kiss on the cheek before running to the stairs.

“Marinette,” Luka called out just as she ducked into the hall. She peeked out and gave him a questioning look. “After the meal we were going to head back to our flat. Did you want to come?” 

She tried to hold back the excitement on her face. She was already planning to ask if she could drop by. 

“I’d love to,” she said. “It’ll be a good chance to do any re-charming.”

“Great!” Adrien beamed. “We can show you around.”

* * *

“Did we vacuum?” Adrien asked as they walked across the street. 

“I swept the kitchen the other night,” Luka said. “Did you clean the bathroom?” Adrien seemed to tighten his lips. 

“Marinette, don’t go to the bathroom,” he told her. Marinette giggled.

“All right,” she said. “Aside from perpetual night and silencing, do you guys need anything else?” 

“Is there any way to make the flat stay clean?” Adrien asked.

Marinette nodded. “Yes. Mama says it’s called chores.” 

Luka let out muffled laugh and looped his arm around Adrien’s shoulders. “I’m afraid if left to his own devices, he can be a bit of a slob.”

“I’m not a slob.” He seemed to pout a bit as they reached the door. 

Marinette giggled as she followed, carrying a small backpack with various items she’d need to re-charm their flat. What the other immortals called ‘magic’ was, if she were to explain it, a manipulation of energy. Everything in existence had an energy and covennites, with the correct training, had the ability to alter it. Some things were easier than others, with more complex transitions taking more time and wearing out the caster. 

However, in the case of the simple charming spells casted on homes of immortals, Marinette could do them in her sleep. Fluorite was used for silencing; black crystals were often used for perpetual night to tint windows, and while she was there, she’d cast a charm to repel anyone with bad intentions with some green aventurine. 

She climbed the stairs with them, with Adrien assuring it was not nearly as messy as Luka insinuated. 

“I think I’ll be the judge of that,” Marinette said as they reached their floor. Luka unlocked their corner flat door and held it open for Marinette to walk in. Adrien darted inside before her to try to get to the bathroom and do some quick cleaning. Before he made it past the doorway, she grabbed his arm and pulled him back. 

Adrien seemed to stumble back, looking at Marinette with surprised eyes. Marinette put a smile on her face and pulled her arm back. 

“Sorry,” she said. “It’s just...it’s good if I start the re-charming first.” 

“Oh.” Adrien looked at Luka. “Is that how it works?” 

“When we got the flat it was already charmed, so probably?” Luka said, more a question than a confirmation. 

Marinette slid an arm from her backpack strap and swung in front of her. She unzipped it and dug through. She pulled out a hazy, nearly opaque white stone. 

“It’s best to start from the beginning. The charms work better on a clean slate,” Marinette said. She glanced around the hall. “Um...no one is going to see us, will they?” 

“No, our neighbors aren’t usually here at this time due to work,” Luka said. 

“Great...I know this looks strange to humans.” She held the stone in her right hand and knelt down, putting her left palm on the hardwood floor just inside the doorway. 

“Oooh....” Adrien knelt down beside her, watching the glowing in her right hand dull. Marinette opened her now empty palm to him. “Whoa! Where’d it go?”

“Selenite is good for purification. I had its energy go over your flat. Next is some quartz to prep it....” Marinette dug through her bag again. “Some clans use other objects to transfer energy, but mine all prefer rocks and minerals, so that’s what I’m using.” She repeated her earlier motion and the clear crystal in her hand vanished. 

“So there are rocks specific for each charm?” Luka asked. Marinette nodded. 

“Yes, this is fluorite. I think it’s best for silencing,” she said, lifting it up. “Also, when was the last time you were here? Yesterday afternoon?” 

“Yeah, before we headed to  _ Le Chevalier _ ,” Adrien said. Marinette glanced into the short hall that led into the flat’s open living area and kitchen at the far end. 

“Do you...guys have people over often?” 

Adrien seemed to hesitate. “Only to drink from every now and then,” Luka said. 

“But with the center so close, I don’t need to any more!” Adrien interjected rather loudly and Marinette smiled a bit. She lifted her free hand and cupped the side of his face. 

“Yeah, I know,” she said as he nuzzled her hand and turned to kiss her fingers. “I’ll make sure you always have enough blood.” 

“Marinette....” He raised his hand to hold hers, but before he could, Marinette turned back to the flat and continued to rummage in her bag. 

“First, let’s get the charms done, okay?” She faced the door, fixing her eyes on the painted wood and hoped neither of them saw the flush on her face. He kissed her hand...like it was nothing! And she liked it.... She gave her head a little shake. No, she needed to focus. Adrien sounded like they hadn’t had someone in their flat for several days, but her quartz charm to prepare the energies in the flat for the subsequent charms met with some uneven vibrations.

“Wait a second.” Luka slipped between her and the door frame. His brows knit together as he sniffed the air. She glanced towards him and watched his eyes narrow. “Do you smell that?” 

She supposed he wasn’t an heir to a tribe for nothing. Adrien followed Luka, taking a step into the flat. He lifted his head and took a deep breath. “That’s a human scent.”

“We haven’t had humans here for weeks. Their scents fade quickly...and this one is strong.” Luka frowned. “It’s recent.”

Adrien put his arm out, blocking Marinette from entering. She placed her hand on his extended arm. “How recent?” 

“The last twenty four hours, at least,” Luka said. “It’s not strong enough for someone to still be here.”   
Marinette frowned. “Let me silence the flat first, before you go in.” 

Both Adrien and Luka seemed to hesitate, but Adrien lowered his arm. She put her left hand against the door and squeezed the fluorite in her right hand. When she was done, she removed her left hand and gave them a nod. 

“Stay in the foyer,” Luka said as he walked further into the flat. He lifted his arms and tugged off his shirt before reaching down to undo his belt and jeans. Marinette closed the front door, but remained beside it as Adrien stood rooted in front of her. 

Luka left behind a trail of his clothes in the room before he shifted. There was the cracking of bones and the moving of limbs, but it was fascinating to watch. Marinette stood on the tips of her toes to catch better sight of him shifting into a bipedal lycanthrope. 

She’d only briefly seen it the night before, but he shifted back in order to be carried to a car. He was a head and a half taller in that form, wider with longer, muscular limbs ending with clawed hands. His dark colored hair covered his body and was shiny; a sign of good health. She was pleased to see that there was no scarring from the fire, either. 

He lifted his head and sniffed. He looked different, but his eyes were the same pale blue. Their senses were enhanced when they shifted. She could see his eyes narrow as he turned his head, following what she assumed was the trail of the scent. For as large as he was, his footsteps made no sound, like he was stalking prey and didn’t want to alert them. Marinette frowned.

She couldn’t sense another presence still there during her cleansing and Luka confirmed whoever was there was already gone from the strength of the scent. Still, what was left behind could be dangerous.

“He’s cautious in case there is a trap,” Adrien said in front of her. She raised her eyes and wondered how he knew what she was thinking. “It’s okay, Marinette. Don’t worry.” 

She followed his glance to his outstretched arm. Her hands were digging into him and she sucked in a sharp breath. “Sorry!” She snatched her hands back. “Did it hurt?”

Adrien chuckled a little and gave her a thoughtful look. “No, it’s fine.” 

She pursed her lips. Of course, she knew that. Covennites didn’t have that superior strength the other immortals had. It probably felt like a child trying to squeeze his arm. 

“Adrien.” Luka’s hoarse voice came from around the corner and the towering lycanthrope walked out with a small bundle of cloth in his claws. Marinette’s eyes looked over the front of his body and she momentarily chided herself for wondering why parts of him weren’t visible when he was a naked bipedal lycanthrope. The thought had never occurred to her before and now was not the time to think about it. She shook her head to clear it.

Adrien lowered his arm and knit his brows together as he walked towards Luka. “That’s my coat....” He gathered the shreds of fabric and ran his fingers through the torn sleeves. 

“Your room’s been ransacked. Your clothes are everywhere.”

Adrien couldn’t seem to contain the shock on his face. “It’s always like that....” he said, distracted.

“More so than usual. Bed is also torn up and your curtains are absolutely shredded. You might as well not have any,” Luka said. “Stay here, I’m going to check my room.” He stalked further into the flat. 

When he came out, Adrien and Marinette gave him questioning looks. Luka looked serious; the usual calm glint in his eyes had turned cold. 

“Well?” Adrien asked, clutching his coat against him. 

Luka shook his head. “Somethings were out of place, but it’s been rummaged through.” 

Marinette’s lips tightened into a line. Investigations were her world, but she wasn’t in a position to make that known. One call and she could have some covennites come and take a look. She could even get Max to come by and perform a full investigation on his own. She looked from Adrien to Luka and back. 

But she couldn’t. All her connections were to remain hidden. That was her mission. She needed to look around herself. 

“Was anything taken?” she asked, trying to sound more worried than frustrated at her situation. 

“Not that I noticed.” Luka said. He began to shift back into his human form as he turned around. It took a few seconds and was a fluid transformation. Marinette bit her lower lip. He was back to his naked human body and began picking up his discarded clothes at one.

“Should we report it?” Marinette hoped they would. 

“No, it’s probably nothing.” Adrien sounded rather casual about the whole thing and she snapped her head towards him. 

“Nothing?” This time she couldn’t cover up the shock. “What do you mean? Someone broke into your flat!” 

“It wouldn’t actually be the first time,” Luka said with a heavy sigh. Marinette snapped her head back to him as he pulled his pants. 

“Not the first...?” She looked at them with wide, confused eyes. Was she missing something? “What’s going on?” 

Luka let out another heavy sigh and seemed to be trying to find the words to explain. Adrien began to rub the back of his neck and looked away. “I don’t know if you’ve heard anything about us since you arrived, but Luka and I have a...reputation....”

Marinette’s mouth opened just a bit. She could hear Nadja’s words in her head. The République duo was  _ popular _ . 

“We’ve had a few stalkers and people who’ve broken in to try to see us or get something,” Luka said. “Don’t worry. We’ll change the locks again.” 

She almost wanted to scream. Changing the locks? That was it? She knew they didn’t know the danger they were in, but this was too much. “If this has happened before, why haven’t you reported it? Or moved?”

“It’s complicated,” Adrien said as he looked down at his ruined coat. “I’ve had some shirts stolen, a few pairs of underwear, and a pair of dress shoes. But that’s usually the extent of it.” 

Marinette crinkled her eyes. “Who have you been inviting over...?”  
His face reddened and Luka stepped in, tugging his shirt over his chest. “Let’s just clean up and get the re-charming done.” He placed a hand on Marinette’s shoulder and led her towards the living room. “Have a seat. Let us clean up a bit first.” 

She wasn’t just going to sit around and wait. 

“I can help!” She quickened her step to bypass the living room, making a beeline for where she assumed his room was. “I just can’t stand to sit and do nothing after all you two have done for me.” 

Luka’s eyes went wide. “Wait!” He stretched out an arm to stop her. “You can’t go in there!”

She froze before stepping into the narrow hall that led to his room. She looked back at him. “Is something wrong?” 

“No, no.” Luka shook his head and lowered his arm. “It’s just....” He seemed unsure and looked to Adrien. Adrien stared at him for a moment before nodding, appearing to understand.

“He doesn’t want you to see his room because he likes you and it’s unclean.” 

Luka seemed even more unsure, as if he were also trying to process Adrien’s words. Marinette cocked her head to the side. “I’m sure it’s not that bad. Everyone always thinks their room is dirtier than it is.”

“Not that it’s dirty, but when we have people over-”

“Adrien, wait-”

“We always do it in Luka’s room, so he’s probably embarrassed to let you in there after all the people he’s-”

“Stop!” Luka’s hand clamped over Adrien’s and Marinette could see a slight pink to his cheeks. 

Marinette lifted her hand to her mouth to muffle a laugh. “Is that all?” she shook her head. “They don’t matter to me,” she said. Normally, she’d respect his wishes, but their safety was on the line. She marched forward before they could stop her and pushed the already partially open door wide. 

She stopped at the threshold and did a quick scan of Luka’s room. The bed was neatly made, the walls sparse with decorations, and a few clothes - another leather jacket and a pair of jeans with a belt still on, were draped over a chair next to a synthesizer in the corner. 

Luka didn’t strike her as a minimalist, but he seemed to only have the bare essentials. She stepped into the room, on guard, and walked around the perimeter to look for anything out of place. His wooden wardrobe was open and it did look rummaged through. It was strange, though, that Adrien’s things had been torn apart, but not Luka’s.

If it was just some crazed stalker or jilted lover, were they perhaps just targeting Adrien?

She reached for the metal knobs and narrowed her eyes. Dust on one that had been opened, but not on the other. She stopped herself from touching it and went to Luka’s night stand. There was dust again; an even coating over the surface even where there shouldn’t have been, like around the phone charger. 

Marinette tugged down the sleeve of her white, striped sweater and covered her finger with the cuff. She tapped the dust and turned her finger over. Her heart dropped at the sight of dirty pink powder that was evident against the white fabric. 

“Marinette?” She looked over her shoulder and slid her arm behind her. Luka seemed hesitant to enter his own room with her inside. “It’s okay to leave the stuff as it is. I just need to make sure nothing was taken. It’s usually Adrien who’s the target.”

She needed to get him out of that room. Behind her, she folded her sleeve up to hide the powder.

Marinette put on a bright smile and almost skipped across the room to him. She lifted her other hand and cupped the side of his face. “Okay, let’s help him out. You’re pretty neat, I’m kind of jealous.” 

Luka’s worried face softened and he raised his hands around her waist. He lowered his head to kiss her. 

“Excuse me!” A voice called from the hall. “I’m the one whose room was destroyed!” 

Luka dropped his head and rested his forehead against her as he sighed. Marinette laughed and pulled away. She turned him around and pushed him out into the hall.

“How long will it take to get the locks changed?” she asked as she saw a pouting Adrien waiting in the kitchen. She joined him, her eyes scanning the counters for any more of the powder. It wouldn’t bother Adrien, but Luka was vulnerable. 

“I can drop by the hardware store in the morning,” Luka said. 

Adrien looked out the kitchen window and blinked. “Too bad Marinette can’t use magic to change it.” He turned away from the window. “Our perpetual night must’ve worn off a while ago. That street light is bright.” 

Marinette glanced out the window at the street light. It glowed a light blue instead of the warm yellow she was accustomed to. It wasn’t the same hue as harmless LEDs and she clenched her teeth. 

She took a deep breath to calm down and focus. Marinette had one immediate goal now and that was she needed to get them out of there.

She slung her small backpack to her side and began to dig through it once more. “I’ll start re-charming the windows first,” she said as she fished out a small plastic box with numerous pieces of black stone inside. 

Adrien craned his head to get a look, curious. “Is that obsidian?” 

Marinette smiled and shook her head. “We’ve found that while obsidian is good for blocking light, especially on glass since it is volcanic glass, and is the most basic you can use for perpetual night, black tourmaline is even better and the energy focuses on a home space rather than a person.”

“Oh, so since this is our home, it would work better.” 

“You get started on cleaning up your room, unless you want me to see it as it is,” Marinette said with a slight grin. “In all it’s messy glory.”

Adrien sheepishly backed away and Luka followed him with his eyes. “I don’t know how he can be so calm after getting his room messed up like that.”

“I don’t know either. I would’ve reported it immediately or moved,” Marinette said. She clutched a small black stone in her hand and, as she returned the plastic case into her bag, swept up a clear, cold crystal. “Do you have a step stool or something? I need to properly reach the window to re-charm it.”

“There’s one in the hall closet. I’ll go get it,” Luka said. 

Marinette nodded and stood by the sink and window. As soon as he was out of view, her empty hand gripped the counter top and she squeezed the crystals in the other. A silent apology was spoken for what she was about to do. She could feel the heat radiating in her palm as the energy moved through her body. She could hear the buzzing coming from the walls as the crystals dissolved and began to affect the electrical wires. The light on their oven began to blink.

Luka emerged from the hall unfolding a metal and plastic step stool. Marinette took her hand off the counter. 

“Great!” she said. “Just put it right here.” Luka placed it against the counter to give her room to climb on. As she got on the counter and reached for the window, she paused and tilted her head again, innocently looking at the oven near by. “Is something wrong with your oven?” 

Luka turned towards the appliance and furrowed his brows. “Did we lose power?”

“My center has back up power, so even if the street did, it would be fine,” she said. As expected, Luka moved to investigate it. He looked confused and turned to the fridge. 

“I hope it wasn’t off for too long. I have some meat....” He opened the freezer portion of the fridge and let out a breath of relief to see it was still cold. “Looks like it wasn’t off for too long.” He closed the freezer door and opened the fridge. 

There was a spark as the light flickered. He let out a yell and jumped back as a crackling sound filled the room followed by the scent of burnt plastic. Marinette scrambled from her perch on the counter as other appliances began to short. She held her hand up to contain any sparks and fire.

Adrien yelled from the room as he ran out. “What’s going on?” His eyes were wide. “What happened? The lamp in my room started to flicker!”

Marinette grimaced as she put out a small electrical fire to keep it from spreading. Compared to the fire from the night before, it was easy to contain. Perhaps she overdid it with the electrical surge and ruined their appliances. 

“I don’t know,” Luka said, trying to pull her away from the kitchen. “Something shorted and all of a sudden, everything started sparking. Don’t touch anything.” 

Adrien’s shoulders slumped forward. “You’re kidding me. We don’t need this, too.”

“For sure you have to call an electrician.” Marinette said. “I know a good one who helped with the center. I can give them a call. Don’t turn on anything. We don’t want to set the whole building on fire.” 

Luka ran a hand through his hair, looking at a complete loss. “Great...great....”

This was her chance. Marinette rubbed his arm to comfort him as she looked at the burnt out toaster oven. She wasn’t sure this was enough to convince them, but she’d give it a try.

“I think it’s a little too dangerous for you guys to stay here when with the threat of fire,” she said. She squeezed his arm and leaned against him, gently pulling him away from the kitchen.

“I know,” Luka sighed. He looked over at Adrien. “Think your parents will let you stay over for a while?”

“Of course. Do you need a place to stay? Maman’s been wanting you to drop by for a visit anyway.” 

“If they’re fine with it. I need to tell Jagged first.” 

A small part of her was relieved that they wouldn’t stay in a vulnerable flat, but at the same time, Marinette couldn’t help but be a bit disappointed. She was sure the Agreste Mansion was fortified; it was the residence of Paris’ premier vampire family. Adrien and Luka would be safe there.

Her heart tightened. They would be safe, but she wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on them. Her stomach twisted as she acknowledged another thought: she wouldn’t mind them spending another night or so with her. 

She chewed on her lower lip, debating with herself. This was a mission. Her personal wants needn’t be taken into consideration. 

“I’ll call them right now,” Adrien said, reaching into his back pocket for his phone. 

She stepped forward and found herself talking before she could stop herself. 

“If you want,” Marinette said as the two of them turned towards her. “You two can always stay with me until this is fixed.” 

* * *

“It’s cinnabar,” Alya said over the phone as Marinette sat on the window sill overlooking the rooftop of her building. Her blue eyes were fixed below, on the men dressed as city workers changing out the offending bulbs on the street lamps that directly shone into Adrien and Luka’s flat. “You better give him something to purge him before he starts to see the effects.”

She let out a low breath. “I already did. I don’t think he touched much.”

“But even a little cinnabar can make a healthy adult lycan sick.” Marinette knew that already. Cinnabar was a toxic mercury ore and lycanthropes were deathly allergic to mercury. It was one of the few things that could wipe out a population in days. To find it as a powder dusted all over Luka’s things, just waiting for him to touch and poison himself, terrified her. 

Then there were the street lamps. “How much does UVC light weaken a vampire?” 

“Every so often, directly from a source, not much,” Alya said. “But if exposed for a long period of time, it’ll start to create sores and welts on their skin.”

“But at that point, they’re already weak.” Every street light next to Adrien and Luka’s building had to have its bulb replaced after she noticed the abnormal bluish-white light emanating from them. Adrien hadn’t at all been bothered by the street lights leading up to their building. They hadn’t been changed. 

She heard Alya let out a heavy breath. “I’ll try to collect any CCTV footage from your neighborhood to see if it caught anyone breaking into their flat.” 

“Max has a list of everyone who was at the club the other night. They should all have Ollon-ners watching them, but have the street lights around their area checked, too. We can’t do much about the cinnabar except have antidotes to counteract and purge them stocked and ready. I’ll contact the other centers.” 

“All right. What about the two princes?” Alya asked. “You didn’t let them stay, did you?” 

Marinette shook her head and slid off the window sill. She raised a hand and darkened the glass before walking away from it. “Of course not. It’s way too dangerous. They tried to say one of their fans broke in and I don’t know if they believe that or not.”

“Maybe they do. They didn’t notice the cinnabar or the lights.”

“I doubt that two heirs with no training could identify them and put attempts on their lives as a logical conclusion,” Marinette said. “That’s why I was asked to come, after all.”

“And you put up  _ such a fight _ ,” Alya said. Marinette could almost feel the sarcasm in her voice. Alya, of all people, knew how she jumped at the chance to run her own center, even if it was just a cover. “So, where did you put them up?” 

Marinette froze a steps away from her pink, wooden wardrobe pushed against one corner of the attic. “I...put them where I thought they’d be safest.” 

There was a pause on the other line. “Oh my God, you’re having them stay with you.” 

She flushed. “My center is fortified and-”

“And you’re there.” 

“To protect them!” 

“Okay, excuse me if I misheard, I distinctly remember you gushing praises about the two princes everytime we talked the last few weeks,” Alya said in a matter of fact voice. “Adrien is  _ so _ sweet! Luka is  _ so _ thoughtful!” she mimicked. 

Hearing her own words throw back at her made Marinette turn even redder. “It’s true!” 

“Didn’t you also tell me that Nadja Chamack told you that they’re pretty well known for getting around? And that she told you to be careful not to get too involved?” 

Marinette chewed on her lower lip. But they had good reason; that’s how Adrien got his meals...for the most part. “They don’t just do it with anyone....” She trailed off and was met with more silence.

“Girl, when I come by next week, we are going to have a long talk about getting involved with one of your charges.” 

Marinette buried her burning face in her free hand. “It’s not just one....” 

She could almost see Alya’s eyes doubling in size. “You said they were just friends!” Alya screamed over the phone and Marinette held her mobile away from her ear. 

“They were!”

“And when did that change?” Alya sounded exasperated.

“When we got back from the club-”

“The one with the  _ fire _ ?” 

“Well, one thing just led to another....” She bit her lips, suddenly wanting to be back downstairs with the two heirs. 

“You know that one of them is the heir to a prestigious vampire clan and the other is set to take his place as the head of one of Central Europe’s most powerful tribes, right?” 

“Yes....”

“And you’re practically a coven princess who travels around on mission after mission. You never stay in one place for too long.”

“I know....”

“Marinette....” Alya’s voice softened. “Is this serious?” 

She leaned back against her wardrobe and lowered her eyes. “I don’t know. It’s all...really sudden, so I don’t know, yet.” It was an unexpectedly honest answer and now that she thought about it, she hadn’t thought at all about any future with Adrien or Luka or both, even after her grandmother visited. She was just...happy in the moment.

Alya brought up good points and reminded her of the biggest one: this was a mission. 

She was to protect the two heirs and while she was doing so, would need to investigate possible threats and stop them. She didn’t know how long that would take - months, years, perhaps even decades, but she was confident she could ensure their safety. When she did, that would be the end.

And then what? A dull ache throbbed against her chest. 

Then she would leave for her next mission, wouldn’t she? Just as she had done time and time again. She would have to leave behind her center that she worked so hard on preparing and, worse, leave  _ them  _ behind. They weren’t even supposed to know she was sent to protect them. 

“Marinette?” Alya’s worried voice broke through her thoughts. “No one is saying that you need to do anything about that now, but it’s something to keep in mind. You’re a Miraculous holder; a chosen one. You have a duty.”

Marinette closed her eyes. “I know.” An entire team of people followed her for duty and while it made for her work to be easier and more efficient, it had its drawbacks. The isolation one felt from carrying what felt like the world on their shoulders could wear down even the strongest Miraculous holder. 

It was a part of her she had long grown used to. The Covens expected her to swing in and save the day and she did so willingly. It was so integrated into her life, she hadn’t had an actual ‘home’ in years. The temple was hardly one; it was a workplace, if anything. Even Alya and the others had a base of operations they called home. 

The closest she came was her parents’ house and....

She lifted her head and looked up at the wooden beams above her and felt her heart skip for just a moment. 

And her precious new center. 

“For now,” Alya continued on. “Just keep watch over them. We’ll gather the info and sort through the footage. When we find something, we’ll send it over.”  
Marinette took a deep breath and released it. “How long?”

“Another week, if not sooner.” 

“Thanks, Alya.” 

“Also, off the record,” Alya said in a rushed voice. “I know they’re not supposed to know about your mission, but I think they deserve to know, especially if this gets worse. We may need their cooperation if this is bigger than we expect.” 

“They were told they are to protect me. It could be a big shock.”

Alya made a small snort. “You make it sound like they can’t protect you at the same time you protect them. You have a duty, Marinette, but one way or another, you don’t have to carry it alone.” 

Her words lingered with Marinette long after the conversation ended. It rung in the back of her head even as she called the Montmartre and Catacomb Centers. When she was done, the sun was setting and Adrien and Luka would be getting up in an hour or two.

She came down from the attic floor and after making sure her center was locked down, she slipped back into her bedroom. She tossed her sweater on to a near-by chair and climbed on to the foot of the bed. She returned to her niche between the two heirs.

Adrien’s arms reached for her and pulled her close to him as she finished wiggling under the thin bed sheets. He kissed her forehead and said nothing as she buried her face against his broad shoulders. The warmth of Luka’s body pressed against her back and she found herself smiling, sandwiched between them.

She closed her eyes and tried to get a little more sleep before they got up. 

* * *

He liked watching her work. Marinette was so diligent and energetic. It was clear that she enjoyed running the center and could hardly contain her excitement when a vampire or lycan wandered in. Granted, he and Luka knew all those who had come to check out their new center, but it was better than a massive influx of patients due to a sudden emergency. 

The ‘boutique’ opened in the late afternoon and ‘closed’ at ten at night, according to the cute little sign on the window. However, the coven center stayed open until sunrise and there was a special button for emergencies at the back door, through the alley, which would take them directly to the backroom.

Though they didn’t have many visitors, Adrien thought it was fascinating to watch a coven center. He’d been to both the Montmartre and the Catacombs centers in the past, with his parents, but he’d never seen their inner workings. 

Now, there he was, organizing packets of blood by blood type in the backroom while trying to memorize what blood type was best suited for particular ailments. 

“AB,” Luka said as he sorted through various glass containers. Vials were numbered with each number corresponding to a different antidote. Everything from minor sunburns for vampires to blood poisoning. They’d seen Marinette go through them with such ease; they’d wondered how long it took her to memorize them. 

“Weakened energy production due to inferior blood consumption, physical fatigue,” Adrien said. 

“You’re getting good at this.”

Adrien grinned. “Vial 281.”

“For mercury poisoning,” Luka said. He closed the transparent cabinet doors. “I memorized up to vial 325.” 

“How many are there?” Adrien asked as he turned around. Luka stepped back from the wall of cabinets filled with vials, jars, and boxes, and squinted.

“A lot....”

They both stared at the wall of supplies. All the doors were locked, only unsealable by a finger on a crystal slab next to the handle. Marinette asked if they wanted to be registered to open them and they agreed. 

This was their home area and, for the last three weeks, the coven center was their home. They wanted to be of some use to Marinette, who opened her doors to and shared her bed with them. 

“Guys, can you come to the front?” They lifted their heads, towards the speaker embedded in the wall by the entrance to the shop front. Marinette was calling for them. 

The duo looked at each other and headed to the front. They walked through the metal door and into a smaller storage area they used to open packages and sort goods before putting them in the back. 

There was also a part of it that looked like it belonged in a boutique. A few bolts of fabric, an adjustable sewing mannequin, and a fancy sewing machine that looked like it was used fairly often. All those things were situated by the doorway that led to the shop front, as if an extension of the store’s cover. 

They emerged from the backroom and found Marinette serving some coffee to a dark skinned man with red framed glasses, holding a tablet. It was already dark out. The boutique had closed an hour ago. Their new guest was likely another immortal.

“You called for us?” Luka asked. 

Marinette glanced up as she put the coffee pot on a tray on the counter. “Guys, I wanted you to meet Max. He’s the electrician I recommended to fix your flat's weird wiring. He is a fellow covennite.”

“Oh!” Adrien’s eyes went wide. Right...the whole reason they were at Marinette’s coven center was because their wiring was off in their flat and they were worried it could cause a fire. He’d completely forgotten. He glanced at Luka, who also seemed to have forgotten that was the case. 

“Nice to meet you both,” the man said as he smiled and gave them a nod. “I’m sorry it took so long, but I’ve had my hands full with other projects.” He lifted up his mug and gave Marinette a small nod. 

“It’s no problem,” Luka said as they reached the counter. “We’re not in any rush.” He stood beside Marinette and wrapped an arm around her waist. It was a smooth, casual maneuver and Adrien wondered if it was a way to show that living with Marinette was in no means a problem. 

“Of course I’m not going to kick them out,” Marinette said, nodding with agreement. “But have you had a chance to look at the flat I told you about?”

Max lowered his cup and nodded. “Thank you for trusting me with the key, by the way. I went with my team to check it out. Your kitchen was completely fried.”

“That I know,” Adrien sighed. “Is it just the kitchen?”

Max winced and shook his head. “I’m afraid it got the worst of it, but that’s not all. Most of the outlets were affected. Complete rewiring was necessary, the city had to be notified, they had to come check. Even after all that, all your appliances need to be replaced.”

Luka let out a low hiss. “That’s going to cut into our budget....” 

“Speaking of budget,” Adrien said, standing behind Marinette. He put his arms on either side of her and leaned over the top of her head. “How much is all of this going to cost?”

Max slid his fingers across his tablet and went through a few screens before flipping it over and placing it on the counter to show them. “This is the work and the total.” 

Adrien cringed. It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford it. They were immortal heirs with comparable financial backing. However, it wasn’t as if they had actual jobs and could just throw money around without a care.

“You replaced their appliances?” Marinette asked as she scrolled through the invoice. Max nodded.

“All damage was assessed and items replaced with slightly better versions.” 

“Okay,” Luka nodded. He looked at Adrien, who nodded back. He turned to Max. “How long will it take to get done?”

Max chuckled. “Three weeks.”

“Looks like you’re stuck with us for another three weeks.” Adrien sighed, as if it were such a burden, and pressed his head against Marinette’s shoulder. 

“Actually....” Marinette trailed off, sounding sheepish. She looked at Max.

Max reached into his pocket and placed two metal keycards with a strip of black material across the center. “I should say that it _ took _ three weeks. Your flat is all done and you can move back in at any time.”

Adrien’s arms dropped. He looked at Max and then at Luka with a look of confusion and worry on his face. Luka looked equally stunned. He lowered his eyes to the keycards. 

“I had them upgrade your lock,” Marinette said. “It’s a similar registry system as the cabinets and this center. Max developed them especially for reinforced doors.” She paused and put her hand on Luka’s arm and grasped Adrien’s hand. “I know it wasn’t my place, but I was worried that you’d be broken into again.”

Max took another drink of his coffee, this time finishing it off. He placed it down on the small plate and took his tablet back. “Marinette, I’ll send you the invoice and all the _ other _ information later. I’ll leave the keys here. If you have any questions, let me know. I have some work to get back to.”

Adrien hardly registered the man leaving as he and Luka looked at the keys on the counter. Marinette walked Max out, discussing some other features. The bell hanging at the top of the door jingled as he left.

Marinette turned around and clasped her hands together. She approached them, as if wary. “Adrien...Luka....”

“I...didn’t think it would be fixed so soon,” Luka said. He lifted his head and gave Marinette a weak smile. “Not that we wanted to keep bothering you.”

Her brows furrowed and she shook her head. “No, you’re not bothering me at all.” She rushed across the shop floor and rounded the counter. She gathered Luka’s hands in hers and brought them to her chest. “I love having you two here.” 

“But...we can’t stay forever,” Adrien said, his voice quiet. She looked past Luka and Adrien lifted his eyes. “I knew we’d have to go back sometime.” 

He knew that, but he had pushed that thought to the back of his mind. When Marinette asked if they wanted to stay with her, he didn’t even think about refusing. He had answered before Luka could, asking if it was all right with her. She nodded and said they were free to stay as long as they needed to.

She said to make themselves at home in her home and they did. 

For the last three weeks, the coven center was  _ their _ home. He and Luka, with Marinette’s help, brought back an arm load of clothes and whatever perishables were left in their burnt out fridge. 

They put their clothes on a pile on the bed in one of the spare bedrooms. They never used the spare as anything more than a closet, of course. 

The daylight sleeping hours were spent with Marinette in her bed, just like the first night. Luka was always on her right. His place was on her left. 

Luka cooked, he did the dishes. 

Marinette taught them some basics about the coven center and about her false storefront. 

They’d even had replacement instruments delivered there and she’d let them have a session with Juleka, Rose, and the others a few times after meticulously putting up silence barriers in what would’ve been a dining room. 

Every night, they’d wake up, eat the first meal together, then open the center. They’d take breaks together to go over the supplies or discuss the area and what it needed. Some nights, Marinette would take time alone to do some work for the center in her attic ‘office’, as he and Luka called it. They’d spend their time relaxing in the living room, watching television, playing instruments, or talking to his parents on the phone. 

The last meal would be eaten and then they’d retire to her bedroom to bask in each other’s company before going to bed, only to wake up beside her to start the pleasant dream all over again. 

They had a routine. 

And he loved it. It felt right. 

“I don’t want to go back.” His voice was tight and Luka turned around, a pained look on his face. 

“Adrien.” He reached out his hand, but Adrien shook his head and pushed the keycards away from him. “Adrien, I don’t want to go back, either, but this is Marinette’s home. We have our own home.”

“I know that,” Adrien said, his voice was sharp and he raised his hand through his hair. “I just...I just like how things are now. I mean, what are we going to do when we get back?” He motioned his hand towards the door, in the direction of their building. “Compose music, eat? Invite humans upstairs? I don’t need to do that. I don’t want to. I have Marinette now.” 

He looked over at her and saw her warm, soft face redden. His heart ached just looking at her. How could he leave her? Every night was filled with her and suddenly, she’d be taken away?

“She’s not far,” Luka said. It almost sounded as if he were trying to convince himself more so than Adrien. “She’s just across the street. We can see her every day, like when she was getting the center ready.”

Adrien shook his head. “Is it really the same, Luka? You want to wake up without her?” 

He watched Luka’s eyes narrow. Adrien knew that Luka felt the same as he did. If his arms weren’t around Marinette, then Luka’s were. If his lips weren’t on her, then Luka was taking his place. 

Still, Luka looked at Marinette before turning away. “She had our flat fixed for us. She gave us a place to stay,” he said in a low voice. “How can we keep taking advantage of her kindness like this?”

Adrien swallowed hard. It wasn’t that he wanted to take advantage of Marinette. He’d never do such a thing. His hands clenched at his sides. He just didn’t want their domestic bliss to end. 

“You don’t have to go back.” His head snapped up and turned towards Marinette as her quiet voice broke the tense silence. She stood between them, her hands clasped tight in front of her. “I wanted to get your flat fixed because it was your home. I didn’t do it to get rid of you.”

“No.” Luka shook his head. “That’s not what we thought.” 

“You’ve welcomed us to your home, Marinette, and your bed,” Adrien said. He took a step forward and reached for her hand. “We know that’s not why you did it.” 

“I was worried after the break in,” she said, her head lowered. “I wanted you both safe, so I thought I’d get Max and his team to fortify your flat a bit better. I know you’re safe here.” She looked up as she squeezed Adrien’s hand and gave him a small, sad smile. “A coven center is a fortress...but I wasn’t going to force you to stay. You could go back at any time.”

Adrien crinkled his eyes. “Do we have to?”

“Adrien.” Luka protested, but sounded tired. He looked at Marinette with apologetic eyes. “Marinette, we can’t stay.”

“Why not?” She looked at him. “If you want to stay, then stay.” 

His tongue darted out to lick his lips as he looked down at her. “Are you sure about this? We won’t get in your way?”

She shook her head and smiled softly. “I like it better when you two are in my way.” 

Adrien moved forward and grinned, relief filling him. “Even if we’re a distraction?” He watched her pale face redden. She began to chew on her lower lip and he noticed her shift in place, pulling her legs closer together. 

“Don’t tease her,” Luka said. He took one of Marinette’s hands and gently guided her between them. “After she opened her home to us. We haven’t even thanked her yet.” 

He lifted her onto the counter and Marinetted gasped. Her eyes were wide as Adrien lifted his hands and began to unbutton his shirt. 

“We’re being rude,” he said. He licked his lips and watched as her little pink tongue darted to do the same with hers. “Thank you, Marinette, for letting us stay.”

His hand slid up her thigh and she whimpered. On her other side, Luka cupped her face and tilted her to look at him. He smiled as he lowered his head and kissed her forehead, her cheek, then the tip of her nose.

“Thank you, Marinette.” 

His lips sealed over hers and she closed her eyes. She leaned into him as Adrien spread her knees further apart, his cool hands caressing her hot, flushed skin as they roamed up, pushing back the fabric of her skirt. 

The bell hanging on the door rang and he looked up, unsure if he actually heard it. The door had opened. 

Marinette gasped as she tore herself away from Luka and looked over her shoulder. Her eyes were wide as she pushed Luka away and tugged down her skirt, nearly pinning Adrien’s hands between her thighs as her knees snapped together. 

“Alya!” 

An orange haired woman raised a brow as she stood at the threshold of the door. “ _ Bon soir _ ,” she said as a small smirk tugged at her lips. “Am I interrupting something?” 


End file.
